Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-500

Here is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus E-500, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Advanced DSLR and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-500 (8MP) but they use the same exact sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was brought out 23 months prior to the E-500 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-1 grades against the E-500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 & Olympus E-500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus E-500 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 has external dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Olympus E-500 has sizing of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus E-500 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-1 vs the E-500.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and E-500 is 59 and 70 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to see the gap in sensor sizing simply by viewing technical specs. The visual below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and E-500.

As you have seen, each of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Olympus E-500 to render greater detail having its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.