Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ

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.

Photography Glossary

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.

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.

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.

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.