Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony NEX-5

Sony NEX-5 advantages over Olympus E-PL1

• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 5.16 vs 4.29 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• In-camera panoramas
  Yes vs No
  Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
• Tiltable Screen
  Tiltable vs Fixed
  Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
• Fast startup
  ~1.00 vs 2.2 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  NEX-5 test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  796 vs 487 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  NEX-5 test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  12.2 vs 10.1 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• More dots on screen
  922k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Less shutter lag
  0.44 vs 0.95 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  14.2 vs 12.3 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  38 vs 15 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  12800 vs 3200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility