Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ
59 Imaging
38 Features
36 Overall
37


72 Imaging
34 Features
38 Overall
35
Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
- Launched November 2003
- New Model is Olympus E-3
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 64 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 26-676mm (F2.8-5.0) lens
- 413g - 116 x 84 x 81mm
- Released January 2009
- Newer Model is Olympus SP-600 UZ

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Overview
Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus SP-590 UZ, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Olympus. There exists a noticeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and SP-590 UZ (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.

The E-1 was introduced 6 years before the SP-590 UZ and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-1 matches up vs the SP-590 UZ in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 & Olympus SP-590 UZ. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Olympus SP-590 UZ
E-1 | SP-590 UZ |
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Reasons to pick Olympus SP-590 UZ over the Olympus E-1
SP-590 UZ | E-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | January 2009 | ![]() | November 2003 | More recent by 62 months |
Screen dimension | 2.7" | ![]() | 1.8" | Bigger screen (+0.9") |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 134k | Sharper screen (+96k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Olympus SP-590 UZ
E-1 | SP-590 UZ | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very accurate focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither features Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Physical Comparison
In case you're going to lug around your camera, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 enjoys external dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Olympus SP-590 UZ has sizing of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-1 and Olympus SP-590 UZ in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-1 compared to the SP-590 UZ.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and SP-590 UZ is 59 and 72 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be tough to imagine the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through specs. The graphic here should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and SP-590 UZ.
All in all, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-1 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus SP-590 UZ will provide you with greater detail using its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ Specifications
Olympus E-1 | Olympus SP-590 UZ | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
Model | Olympus E-1 | Olympus SP-590 UZ |
Category | Pro DSLR | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Launched | 2003-11-29 | 2009-01-07 |
Body design | Large SLR | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 5 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | - |
Highest Possible resolution | 2560 x 1920 | 3968 x 2976 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 64 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 3 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 26-676mm (26.0x) |
Max aperture | - | f/2.8-5.0 |
Macro focus range | - | 1cm |
Available lenses | 45 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 1.8 inches | 2.7 inches |
Screen resolution | 134k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.48x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 15 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0fps | 6.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 8.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/180 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 640x480 |
Video format | - | Motion JPEG |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 735g (1.62 pounds) | 413g (0.91 pounds) |
Dimensions | 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") | 116 x 84 x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (12 or 2 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | xD Picture Card, microSD Card, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Cost at release | $1,700 | $249 |