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Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 front
Portability
66
Imaging
54
Features
54
Overall
54

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Key Specs

Olympus E-1
(Full Review)
  • 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
  • Revealed November 2003
  • Renewed by Olympus E-3
Sony A390
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
  • Launched July 2010
  • Replaced the Sony A380
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Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Overview

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-1 and Sony A390, former is a Pro DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and A390 (14MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-1 was unveiled 7 years earlier than the A390 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-1 grades versus the A390 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Sony A390

 E-1 A390 

Reasons to pick Sony A390 over the Olympus E-1

 A390 E-1 
LaunchedJuly 2010November 2003More modern by 81 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing2.7"1.8"Larger display (+0.9")
Display resolution230k134kClearer display (+96k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Sony A390

 E-1 A390 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch display Neither provides Touch display

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Physical Comparison

When you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-1 provides physical measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Sony A390 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-1 and Sony A390 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-1 compared to the A390.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and A390 is 59 and 66 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, its tough to see the difference between sensor sizes simply by going over technical specs. The pic below may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and A390.

As you have seen, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-1 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A390 will offer you extra detail having an extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-1
Portrait photography with Sony A390
46
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
no liveview feature
sensor resolution low (5 megapixels)
72
focusing manually
good resolution (14 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
has face detect focus
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-1 Street photography info
Sony A390 Street photography info
57
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
environment proofing
lighter than average in class (735g)
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
76
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-1 as a Sports photography camera
Sony A390 as a Sports photography camera
40
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
environment proofing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
no liveview feature
slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5MP)
60
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
comes with phase detect auto focus
max fps very slow (3.0 frames per second)
not so great battery life (230 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-1
Travel photography with Sony A390
47
lighter than average in class (735g)
environment proofing
missing Time Lapse function
sensor resolution low (5 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
53
good resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
lack of Timelapse recording
not so great battery life (230 per charge)
does not have a selfie friendly display
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-1 Landscape photography highlights
Sony A390 Landscape photography highlights
46
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
environment proofing
screen is somewhat small (1.8")
no liveview feature
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5MP)
missing Time Lapse function
61
focusing manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (14MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
small screen (2.7 inches)
not so great battery life (230 shots)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 Vlogging highlights
Sony A390 Vlogging highlights
9
lack of video recording
9
lack of video recording
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Olympus E-1 vs Sony A390 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Sony A390
 Olympus E-1Sony Alpha DSLR-A390
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model Olympus E-1 Sony Alpha DSLR-A390
Category Pro DSLR Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2003-11-29 2010-07-28
Physical type Large SLR Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 5MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 2560 x 1920 4592 x 3056
Max native ISO 3200 3200
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points 3 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Sony/Minolta Alpha
Total lenses 45 143
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 1.8 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of display 134 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder magnification 0.48x 0.49x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 3.0 frames per second 3.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/180s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Max video resolution None None
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 735 grams (1.62 lb) 549 grams (1.21 lb)
Dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 66
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.5
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.5
DXO Low light score not tested 607
Other
Battery life - 230 photographs
Battery style - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots One One
Retail cost $1,700 $500