Both Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus E-PL7 have Four Thirds sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the E-PL5 and E-PL7 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus E-PL7 Cameras
Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus E-PL7 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Olympus E-PL5
72
22.8 bits
12.3 Evs
889 ISO
Olympus E-PL7
72
22.7 bits
12.4 Evs
873 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Olympus E-PL5
or the
Olympus E-PL7 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
