Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420
70 Imaging
53 Features
59 Overall
55


77 Imaging
44 Features
36 Overall
40
Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 15MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200 (Boost to 12800)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Canon EF/EF-S Mount
- 520g - 129 x 98 x 62mm
- Introduced June 2009
- Alternative Name is EOS Rebel T1i / EOS Kiss X3
- Earlier Model is Canon 450D
- Refreshed by Canon 550D
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
- Released June 2008
- Previous Model is Olympus E-410

Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Overview
The following is a extensive comparison of the Canon 500D versus Olympus E-420, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by companies Canon and Olympus. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the 500D (15MP) and E-420 (10MP) and the 500D (APS-C) and E-420 (Four Thirds) possess different sensor measurements.

The 500D was announced 12 months after the E-420 so they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a short overview of how the 500D grades against the E-420 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon EOS 500D & Olympus E-420. The whole galleries are provided at Canon 500D Gallery & Olympus E-420 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon 500D over the Olympus E-420
500D | E-420 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | June 2009 | ![]() | June 2008 | Newer by 12 months |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+690k dot) |
Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Canon 500D
E-420 | 500D |
---|
Common features in the Canon 500D and Olympus E-420
500D | E-420 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Lacking Touch friendly display |
Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Canon 500D enjoys external dimensions of 129mm x 98mm x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4") along with a weight of 520 grams (1.15 lbs) while the Olympus E-420 has sizing of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).
Check the Canon 500D versus Olympus E-420 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the 500D and the E-420.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 500D and E-420 is 70 and 77 respectively.

Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it can be tough to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions just by looking at specs. The pic below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the 500D and E-420.
All in all, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The 500D having a larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh easier and the Canon 500D will give you more detail with its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The more modern 500D should have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon 500D vs Olympus E-420 Specifications
Canon EOS 500D | Olympus E-420 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Canon | Olympus |
Model type | Canon EOS 500D | Olympus E-420 |
Also Known as | EOS Rebel T1i / EOS Kiss X3 | - |
Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Introduced | 2009-06-08 | 2008-06-23 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Digic 4 | TruePic III |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | Four Thirds |
Sensor dimensions | 22.3 x 14.9mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor surface area | 332.3mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 15MP | 10MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 4:3 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4752 x 3168 | 3648 x 2736 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 1600 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | 12800 | - |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Canon EF/EF-S | Micro Four Thirds |
Available lenses | 326 | 45 |
Crop factor | 1.6 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Resolution of screen | 920 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen technology | TFT color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.55x | 0.46x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 30s | 60s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0 frames per second | 4.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/200s | 1/180s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (20 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video format | H.264 | - |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 520g (1.15 pounds) | 426g (0.94 pounds) |
Dimensions | 129 x 98 x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4") | 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 63 | 56 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.7 | 21.5 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.5 | 10.4 |
DXO Low light rating | 663 | 527 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 440 images | 500 images |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LP-E5 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 sec or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at release | $650 | $999 |