Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony a3500

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony a3500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and a3500 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The E-PM2 was brought out 10 months before the a3500 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PM2 scores against the a3500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Sony Alpha a3500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM2 provides external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Sony a3500 has dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony a3500 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM2 compared to the a3500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM2 and a3500 is 89 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to picture the difference between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM2 and a3500.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PM2 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony a3500 will offer you more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-PM2 is going to be behind in sensor technology.