Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A850
89 Imaging
52 Features
63 Overall
56
54 Imaging
67 Features
60 Overall
64
Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A850 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 269g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Revealed May 2013
- Succeeded the Olympus E-PM1
(Full Review)
- 25MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Bump to 6400)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
- Revealed April 2010
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The following is a extended assessment of the Olympus E-PM2 versus Sony A850, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and A850 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor sizing.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe E-PM2 was brought out 3 years after the A850 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PM2 grades against the A850 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM2 over the Sony A850
| E-PM2 | A850 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | May 2013 | April 2010 | Newer by 38 months | |
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A850 over the Olympus E-PM2
| A850 | E-PM2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display resolution | 922k | 460k | Clearer display (+462k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A850
| E-PM2 | A850 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very accurate focusing | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display size | 3" | 3" | Same display measurement | |
| Selfie screen | Neither features selfie screen |
Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A850 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM2 enjoys exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Sony A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-PM2 versus Sony A850 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PM2 versus the A850.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM2 and A850 is 89 and 54 respectively.
Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A850 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's hard to see the gap between sensor dimensions simply by going over specifications. The pic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM2 and A850.
Plainly, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM2 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A850 will offer you more detail having its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The more recent E-PM2 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A850 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A850 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PM2 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-PM2 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Revealed | 2013-05-21 | 2010-04-15 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 861.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 25 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 6048 x 4032 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Highest boosted ISO | - | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 200 | 200 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Total lenses | 107 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 460k dots | 922k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Screen technology | - | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 98 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.74x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 8.0fps | 3.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | no built-in flash |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | 1/250 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | - |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 269g (0.59 lbs) | 895g (1.97 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 72 | 79 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 22.7 | 23.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.2 | 12.2 |
| DXO Low light rating | 932 | 1415 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 360 photos | 880 photos |
| Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo |
| Card slots | 1 | 2 |
| Price at launch | $448 | $0 |