Olympus E-1 vs Sony NEX-5N

Two Eras, Two Visions: A Deep Dive Comparing Olympus E-1 and Sony NEX-5N

Selecting a camera is always a blend of art and science - matching technology to your photography passions and style. Today, I’ll walk you through an immersive comparison of two cameras that, although separated by nearly a decade, both earned their place in enthusiast and professional workflows: the Olympus E-1, a pioneering pro-level DSLR released in late 2003, and the Sony NEX-5N, a nimble mirrorless entry-level shooter launched in 2011. They’re distinct creatures, yet each has unique value to offer. I’ve spent hours testing, handling, and shooting with both, so you’ll get no fluff, just practical insights grounded in experience and solid technical analysis.

Let’s begin by looking at their physical design and handling, stepping progressively through sensor technology, autofocus, shooting performance, and more, always tying back to your specific photographic needs.

Body and Ergonomics: Chunky Muscle vs. Sleek Agility

Anyone picking up these two cameras side by side immediately senses a contrast in design philosophy influenced by their eras.

The Olympus E-1 is a robust, traditional DSLR with a notably large body measuring 141x104x81 mm and weighing around 735 grams. Its all-metal build and environmental sealing make it a reliable workhorse, ready to handle tough field conditions – rain, dust, and temperature extremes. The grip is substantial, giving perfect stability for telephoto lenses or heavy zooms. This heft and heftiness speak to Olympus’ pro ambitions back then, offering durability and tactile controls that many photographers still swear by.

On the flip side, the Sony NEX-5N is markedly compact - 111x59x38 mm and just 269 grams. Its rangefinder-style mirrorless design sheds bulk and weight by doing away with the mirror box entirely, a breakthrough for travel and street shooters. It fits comfortably in even small bags or large coat pockets. While not weather-sealed, it still feels solid in hand, thanks to well-engineered plastics and metal reinforcements. This camera was clearly designed for portability and casual to enthusiast users wanting high image quality without DSLR weight.

Handling-wise, the E-1 features a fixed, modest 1.8-inch screen with low resolution - useful mostly for quick reviewing but impractical for detailed image checks. The NEX-5N upgrades this with a 3-inch tilting touchscreen boasting 920k dots, giving you a vivid and flexible interface for composing tricky angles.

The control layout also reflects their time. E-1 holds numerous dedicated dials and buttons in classic DSLR style, tuned for quick reflexes in the field without menu diving - critical in fast-paced shoots like sports or wildlife. Sony’s NEX-5N simplifies the interface, concentrating controls on menus and touch inputs, reflecting mirrorless trends towards user-friendly designs for less technical users.

In brief, if you prioritize ruggedness and physical handling for heavy glass and tough conditions, the E-1 feels commanding and durable. If you want lightweight, stealthy travel ease with touchscreen control, the NEX-5N shines.

Sensors and Image Quality: CCD Heritage Meets APS-C CMOS Advancement

Let’s peek under the hood where image magic truly happens.

The Olympus E-1 utilizes a Four Thirds 17.3x13 mm CCD sensor with a modest 5-megapixel resolution. While 5MP seems minuscule by today’s standards, in its era this sensor delivered impressively clean images with excellent color depth and smooth tonal gradation, thanks to the CCD technology's natural color rendition and low noise at base ISO levels. The proprietary Four Thirds lens mount meant a designed ecosystem of 45 lenses optimized for this sensor size, offering sharp optics.

However, with a sensor area of only around 225 square millimeters and a 2.1x crop factor, this means limitations in field of view and some challenges in low light due to smaller photosites that collect light.

The Sony NEX-5N steps up with a 23.4x15.6 mm APS-C sized CMOS sensor packing 16 megapixels - a solid jump in resolution and sensor size (~365 square millimeters area). CMOS sensor improvements, combined with Sony’s Bionz processor, provide much better dynamic range, color depth, and noiseless performance at higher ISO settings. ISO sensitivity stretches from 100 up to a whopping 25600, enabling shooting in demanding low-light conditions with usable results.

DxOMark ratings quantify this leap: where the E-1 was never officially tested due to age, the NEX-5N scores an overall 77, with color depth at 23.6 bits, dynamic range close to 13 stops, and respectable low-light ISO performance around 1079 ISO equivalency. These numbers translate to crisp, detailed images with rich colors across lighting situations.

You’ll notice the E-1’s 4:3 aspect ratio differs from the 3:2 and 16:9 options on the NEX-5N, giving each a different framing aesthetic, something to consider for your shooting style.

Viewing and Interface: Optical Vintage vs. Electronic Modern

The viewfinder experience is a decisive factor in shooting comfort and accuracy.

The Olympus E-1 offers an optical pentaprism viewfinder, full-frame coverage at 100%, and 0.48x magnification - classic for DSLRs, giving bright, direct optical viewing with no artificial lag. Being purely optical, it excels in bright light without digital artifacts but lacks overlay information like histograms or focus peaking which mirrorless systems can provide.

In contrast, the Sony NEX-5N opts for no integrated viewfinder but supports an optional external electronic finder accessory. Instead, you depend heavily on the rear touchscreen display, which can tilt for ergonomically shooting at high or low angles. The 3-inch TFT display includes touchscreen functionality - a huge advantage for quick focusing, menu navigation, and image review.

For photographers used to traditional DSLRs, this change can be significant. Optical viewfinders offer an instinctive, lag-free connection to your subject, critical in fast-moving scenes such as sports or wildlife. However, the tilting, high-res screen on the NEX-5N allows for versatility, especially for video and unconventional compositions.

Autofocus: Precision of Old vs. Speed of New

Focusing technology illustrates the tide of change between early DSLRs and early mirrorless cameras.

The Olympus E-1 employs a 3-point phase-detect autofocus system with selective autofocus modes including continuous and single AF. While rock solid and reliable for its time, it lacks face or eye detection and advanced tracking features we expect now. Focusing speed and accuracy may falter somewhat in low light or complex scenes due to the limited focus points.

Sony’s NEX-5N instead uses a 25-point contrast-detection autofocus, with face detection and touch-to-focus via the screen. This makes it surprisingly adept at locking on faces and suitable for portraiture or street scenes where you need quick, precise focus on irregular subjects. Continuous and tracking autofocus is supported, though it may occasionally hunt in dim conditions.

This means wildlife and sports shooters may find both systems somewhat outdated compared to modern benchmarks, but for general purpose photography, especially portraits and street, the NEX-5N autofocus system is significantly more versatile and user-friendly.

Speed and Performance: Burst Rates and Shutter Controls

If you’re shooting fast action, burst rate and shutter responsiveness matter.

The Olympus E-1 offers a top shutter speed of 1/4000 sec and 3 frames per second shooting in continuous mode. Adequate for early 2000s standards, though a bit conservative today. The shutter sound is weighted and mechanical, giving satisfying feedback but a louder profile that might hinder discreet shooting.

The Sony NEX-5N matches max shutter speed with 1/4000 sec but jumps ahead drastically in burst shooting with 10 fps continuous. This speed makes it versatile for capturing fleeting moments in sports or candid street photography. The electronic shutter option (though limited) also enables quieter operation.

Shutter speed control includes standard aperture and shutter priority modes on both, meaning no surprises for seasoned shooters.

Image Stabilization and Flash: What’s Onboard?

Neither camera includes in-body image stabilization (IBIS), a feature now common in mirrorless and DSLRs alike. You’ll rely on optical stabilizers in lenses where available.

Both models lack built-in flashes but support external flash units. The Olympus E-1 has a max flash sync speed of 1/180 sec, while Sony’s NEX-5N syncs at 1/160 sec. Flash modes differ slightly, with Sony offering a wider variety including slow sync and rear curtain, reflecting newer flash control sophistication.

Video Capabilities: Silent Strength of Mirrorless

Here, the contrast sharpens further.

The Olympus E-1 cannot record video, as was standard for early DSLRs focused purely on stills.

Sony’s NEX-5N steps in with full HD 1080p video recording at 60 fps, albeit without microphone or headphone jacks and without advanced video controls. It records in AVCHD format, giving decent compression and image quality for casual video work. This addition opens it up to vloggers or enthusiast videographers, albeit with noted limitations.

Lens Selection and Ecosystem: Olympus’ Four Thirds vs. Sony’s E Mount

The lens ecosystem is a crucial component of any camera system.

Olympus’s Four Thirds mount system offers a mature lineup of 45 native lenses, from ultra-sharp primes to telephoto zooms, optimized for the smaller sensor and with fast apertures available. Though the Four Thirds format is less common today, legacy users still treasure its optical quality.

Sony’s E mount has rapidly expanded with over 120 lenses available by the NEX-5N’s release, spanning primes, zooms, and wide angles from Sony and third-party makers. The APS-C sensor benefits from a wider field of view compared to Four Thirds lenses.

Adapters exist for both cameras to access other lens types, but native compatibility generally determines optimal performance.

Practical Photography Use Cases: Matching Cameras to Genres

Let me break down how each performs across major photography disciplines:

Portrait Photography

• Olympus E-1: Despite lower resolution, its CCD sensor renders pleasing skin tones with smooth midtones. The relatively shallow depth of field achievable with Four Thirds lenses multiplied by 2.1x crop can be challenging for creamy bokeh, but fast primes help. No face detection autofocus is a drawback.
• Sony NEX-5N: 16MP APS-C delivers sharper, more detailed portraits with better bokeh potential. Face and eye detection autofocus adds ease for static and casual portraiture.

Landscape Photography

• E-1: Environmental sealing and sturdy build make it ideal for harsh outdoors; the color depth of CCD is excellent for subtle landscape tones. However, 5MP resolution may limit large prints.
• NEX-5N: Larger sensor and higher dynamic range yield richer shadow and highlight retention - a plus in high-contrast scenes. The compact size is an advantage, but lack of weather sealing is a downside for rugged conditions.

Wildlife Photography

• E-1: Solid body handles big telephotos well, but only 3 fps and rudimentary AF limit capturing unpredictable wildlife.
• NEX-5N: Faster 10 fps burst aids in action capture; however, contrast-detect AF without advanced tracking or animal eye detection might miss fast erratic motion.

Sports Photography

• E-1: Tough body useful but limited burst rate and autofocus system place it at a disadvantage.
• NEX-5N: Higher fps boosts chances, but autofocus tracking can lag in dynamic scenes.

Street Photography

• E-1: Bulky and conspicuous; slower frame rate.
• NEX-5N: Light, quiet, and quick burst mode plus touchscreen focusing make it a solid tool for street candidness.

Macro Photography

Neither camera boasts specific macro features, but the Olympus system’s compatible macro lenses provide excellent optics. The NEX-5N benefits from live view zoom for focus checking.

Night and Astro Photography

• E-1: ISO tops at 3200; higher noise and lower dynamic range than modern sensors may limit performance.
• NEX-5N: Cleaner high ISO and flexible manual controls make it far better for low light and long exposures.

Video Capabilities

Only the NEX-5N supports HD video, a must if video work factors into your decision.

Travel Photography

Lightweight NEX-5N is more practical for on-the-go excursions, while the E-1 is bulkier, better suited for planned shoots requiring durability.

Professional Workflows

Olympus E-1 supports RAW and has robust manual controls but lacks modern connectivity and storage flexibility; Sony NEX-5N includes wireless Eye-Fi compatibility for instant transfers.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity: Practical Considerations

Battery life is unspecified for the E-1 but expected to be modest given CCD sensor drain and early battery tech. The Sony NEX-5N officially offers approximately 460 shots per charge, competitive for mirrorless standards.

Both cameras use single storage slots: Compact Flash for E-1, and SD/Memory Stick for NEX-5N, reflecting evolving media formats.

Connectivity is basic in the E-1 (USB 2.0 only), while NEX-5N adds HDMI out and Eye-Fi wireless card compatibility - meaning more modern workflows.

Final Scorecards and Recommendations

(Observe the color rendition and detail differences in real-world images captured by both cameras to see their sensor strengths.)

The Olympus E-1 scores highest for build quality, durability, and color science heritage, ideal for photographers valuing ruggedness and classic DSLR handling with a timeless CCD charm.

The Sony NEX-5N excels in sensor performance, autofocus versatility, speed, and multimedia capabilities, fitting enthusiasts seeking a lightweight yet powerful mirrorless solution with video options.

Who Should Choose the Olympus E-1?

• Photographers passionate about classic DSLR ergonomics.
• Those working in harsh environmental conditions needing weather sealing.
• Users invested in Olympus Four Thirds lenses or valuing a distinctive CCD color rendering.
• Situations where optical viewfinder and mechanical shutter feel are crucial.

Who Should Opt for the Sony NEX-5N?

• Enthusiasts desiring excellent image quality in a pocketable form.
• Photographers wanting good low light and faster burst shooting.
• Users needing integrated video recording.
• Street, travel, and general-purpose shooters craving a versatile mirrorless system.

Wrapping Up

While these two cameras don’t compete in the same league technologically, comparing them offers valuable lessons in how camera designs evolved over time influenced by sensor innovations, usage trends, and ergonomics. Personally, I find the Olympus E-1 a charming, durable camera with vintage appeal for those who appreciate the DSLR “feel,” whereas the Sony NEX-5N is more aligned with today’s on-the-go lifestyle, placing speed and flexibility above bulk.

If you prioritize sheer image quality, diverse lens options, and compactness, the NEX-5N wins hands down. Enthusiasts building a rugged Four Thirds setup or collectors admiring the origins of mirrorless technology might still favor the E-1.

Choosing between these two really depends on your specific shooting preferences, priorities around size vs. durability, and whether video matters.

Happy shooting - your perfect camera is the one that inspires you to create.