Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A77 II

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A77 II, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and A77 II (24MP) and the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and A77 II (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM2 was brought out 12 months earlier than the A77 II so they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A77 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-PM2 scores against the A77 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Sony SLT-A77 II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Sony A77 II Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera often, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM2 has got external measurements 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 A77 II has measurements of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 647 grams (1.43 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A77 II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-PM2 versus the A77 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM2 and A77 II is 89 and 62 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM2 and A77 II.

As you can see, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PM2 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A77 II will render greater detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older E-PM2 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.