Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A99

Following is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A99, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and A99 (Full frame) boast different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM2 was released 6 months after the A99 so they are of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PM2 matches up against the A99 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM2 offers outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Sony A99 has specifications of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") and a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A99 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PM2 compared to the A99.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM2 and A99 is 89 and 57 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizes merely by viewing specifications. The image below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM2 and A99.

Plainly, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PM2 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Sony A99 will result in greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively.