Olympus E-1 vs Sony HX5

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus E-1 vs Sony HX5, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and HX5 (1/2.4") feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was released 7 years prior to the HX5 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a short summary of how the E-1 scores against the HX5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 offers exterior dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Sony HX5 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-1 vs Sony HX5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-1 versus the HX5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and HX5 is 59 and 92 respectively.

Often, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by looking through technical specs. The visual underneath should provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-1 and HX5.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX5 will provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.