Olympus E-1 vs Sony NEX-7

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-1 and Sony NEX-7, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-7 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was introduced 9 years before the NEX-7 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-1 matches up against the NEX-7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 enjoys external measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-7 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 and Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-1 versus the NEX-7.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and NEX-7 is 59 and 84 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through specifications. The graphic here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and NEX-7.

Plainly, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-1 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony NEX-7 will render extra detail using its extra 19MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.