Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-M5 III

In this write-up, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus E-M5 III, one is a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-M5 III (20MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was unveiled 17 years earlier than the E-M5 III which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-1 matches up versus the E-M5 III in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 III. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Olympus E-M5 III Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 has external dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Olympus E-M5 III has measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") and a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus E-M5 III in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-1 and the E-M5 III.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and E-M5 III is 59 and 80 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The picture below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-1 and E-M5 III.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same resolution. You should count on the Olympus E-M5 III to give more detail having an extra 15 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.