Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony W690

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony W690, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the W690 (16MP) is relatively similar but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and W690 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-PM2 was unveiled 15 months after the W690 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W690 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PM2 grades versus the W690 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Sony W690 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM2 has got external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Sony W690 has sizing of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony W690 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM2 against the W690.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM2 and W690 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading a spec sheet. The pic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM2 and W690.

As you can see, both the cameras have the same megapixel count albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-PM2 comes with the bigger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF easier. The younger E-PM2 should have an advantage in sensor technology.