Sony A7 vs Olympus E-PL9

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Sony A7 vs Olympus E-PL9

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35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7.
Compare Sony A7 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 conclusion.

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-PL9 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-PL9.

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II

Succeeded by the Olympus E-PL10
Compare E-PL9 vs E-PL10

Compare SONY A7 II vs OLYMPUS E-PL10

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Olympus E-PL9

Larger sensor
35mm vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 3.75 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
24.3 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 14 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Olympus E-PL9 advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
More telephoto lens reach
84 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Newer
7 years vs 11 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Lighter weight
473g vs 769g
Lighter weight
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
8.6 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 50 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.6 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-camera panoramas
Both provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-PL9 User Reviews

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Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

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Buy the Olympus E-PL9

Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Brown)
Body Only (White)
Kit with 14-42mm Lens (Black)
Kit with 14-42mm Lens (Brown)
Kit with 14-42mm Lens (White)

All E-PL9 Deals

Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7 Review

We haven’t finished our review of the Olympus E-PL9, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
Read our Olympus E-PL9 Shooter's Report

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$1399
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Olympus E-PL9

Sony A7R

$700
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1399
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A7R

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1148
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Olympus E-PL9

Sony A7 II

$700
4/3

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

$1148
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3999
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Olympus E-PL9

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$700
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

$3999
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Sony A7

Panasonic GX85

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 vs Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-PL9

Panasonic GX85

$700
4/3

Built-in Bluetooth
Longer stills battery life

$598
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Olympus E-PL8

Sony A7

Olympus E-PL8

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$599
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Olympus E-PL8

Olympus E-PL9

Olympus E-PL8

$700
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

$599
4/3

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus E-PL8

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