Olympus E-1 vs Sony NEX-5

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-1 and Sony NEX-5, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The E-1 was revealed 7 years before the NEX-5 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-1 matches up vs the NEX-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-1 features physical 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) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-1 and Sony NEX-5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-1 against the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and NEX-5 is 59 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and NEX-5.

As you can see, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-1 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Sony NEX-5 will result in greater detail because of its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.