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Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Comparison

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Olympus PEN-F

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus PEN-F
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Sony A6600

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A6600
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Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing PEN-F and A6600, two Advanced Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Sony. Olympus PEN-F was introduced to market in January 2016 and Sony A6600 was launched in August 2019. As you can see, PEN-F is 3 years older than A6600. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus PEN-F Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-01-27
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 80)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 427g. 125 x 72 x 37 mm

Sony A6600 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-08-28
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 503g. 120 x 67 x 59 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha a6500 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Olympus PEN-F over Sony Alpha a6600
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
LCD Resolution
1.037k dots vs 922k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
427 g vs 503 g 76 g lighter
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (50.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
CHECK PEN-F PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6600 over Olympus PEN-F
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.71x vs 0.62x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 81 344 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
11.0fps vs 10.0fps 1 fps faster
Battery Life
810 shots vs 330 shots 480 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
23.8 vs 23.1 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.4 vs 12.4 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
1497 vs 894 better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A6600 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus PEN-F and Sony Alpha a6600
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 11.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Olympus PEN-F and Sony Alpha a6600
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus PEN-F has external dimensions of 125 x 72 x 37 mm (4.92 x 2.83 x 1.46″) and weighs 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz) (including batteries). Sony A6600 has external dimensions of 120 x 67 x 69 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.72″) and weighs 503 g (1.11 lb / 17.74 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600. Sony A6600 is 5mm narrower and 5mm shorter than Olympus PEN-F but it is also 32mm thicker.

Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600.

Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600.
Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus PEN-F is significantly lighter (76g ) than the Sony A6600 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A6600 has an APS-C sized sensor and Olympus PEN-F has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus PEN-F's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A6600 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

PEN-F
A6600
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

PEN-F
A6600
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A6600, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to PEN-F.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Sony A6600 features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Olympus PEN-F sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.
Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600: Sensor Comparison

Olympus PEN-F has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor. On the other hand, Sony A6600 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Below you can see the PEN-F and A6600 sensor size comparison.

Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A6600 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Olympus PEN-F. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A6600 has a better overall score of 82, 8 points higher compared to PEN-F's score of 74.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Olympus PEN-F 74 23.1 bits 12.4 Evs 894 ISO
Sony A6600 82 23.8 bits 13.4 Evs 1497 ISO
Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A6600 has an advantage over Olympus PEN-F There are 184 lenses for Sony A6600's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 119 lenses for Olympus PEN-F's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Olympus PEN-F Lenses # of Sony A6600 Lenses
Standard Zoom 17 18
Standard Prime 15 32
Wideangle Zoom 6 12
Wideangle Prime 32 57
Telephoto Zoom 19 15
Telephoto Prime 11 26
SuperZoom 8 10
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 2
Macro Prime 4 9
Perspective Control Prime n/a 2
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 119 184


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO Lens Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO
24 - 80mm 382gr 809gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G Lens Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G
24 - 82.5mm 494gr 997gr 100mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 Lens Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0
70 - 200mm 1650gr 2077gr 214mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
82.5 - 315mm 345gr 848gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus M 25mm F1.8 Lens Olympus M 25mm F1.8
50mm 136gr 563gr 41mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS Lens Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS
52.5mm 155gr 658gr 45mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO Lens Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO
14 - 28mm 534gr 961gr 106mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS Lens Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS
15 - 27mm 225gr 728gr 64mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD Lens Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD
24 - 120mm 575gr 1002gr 99mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Lens Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS
24 - 105mm 308gr 811gr 75mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS Lens Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS
300 - 800mm 1850gr 2277gr 314mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS Lens Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
105 - 525mm 625gr 1128gr 142mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus PEN-F for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A6600 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus PEN-F for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A6600 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Olympus PEN-F for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A6600 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 810 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus PEN-F for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A6600 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
427g
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
503g
Body Thickness 69mm
Read the details

Olympus PEN-F for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A6600 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Olympus PEN-F vs Sony A6600: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus PEN-F and Sony A6600 scores compare:

Olympus PEN-F
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #18 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #139 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Sony A6600
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #60 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Sony A6600 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus PEN-F in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Olympus PEN-F. Otherwise, Sony A6600 is the better camera overall.

Olympus PEN-F
Olympus PEN-F
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Sony A6600
Sony A6600
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Sony A6600 vs Olympus PEN-F Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus PEN-F Sony Alpha a6600
Brand Olympus Sony
Announced 2016-01-27 2019-08-28
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 224.90mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 32,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 80 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 81 425
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 119 184
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,037k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.71x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 11.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 427g 503g
Dimensions 125 x 72 x 37mm 120 x 67 x 59mm
Battery Life 330 shots 810 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 74 82
DxO Color Depth 23.1 23.8
DxO Dynamic Range 12.4 13.4
DxO Low Light ISO 894 1497
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