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Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
74
Overall
60

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Key Specs

Olympus E-1
(Full Review)
  • 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
  • Launched November 2003
  • Newer Model is Olympus E-3
Sony RX100 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 160 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-100mm (F1.8-4.9) lens
  • 281g - 102 x 58 x 38mm
  • Introduced June 2013
  • Older Model is Sony RX100
  • Renewed by Sony RX100 III
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Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Overview

Here, we are looking at the Olympus E-1 versus Sony RX100 II, former being a Pro DSLR while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and RX100 II (20MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") have different sensor measurements.

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The E-1 was announced 10 years prior to the RX100 II and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-1 grades vs the RX100 II in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Sony RX100 II

 E-1 RX100 II 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 II over the Olympus E-1

 RX100 II E-1 
IntroducedJune 2013November 2003Fresher by 116 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display size3"1.8"Larger display (+1.2")
Display resolution1229k134kCrisper display (+1095k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Sony RX100 II

 E-1 RX100 II 
Manually focus More accurate focus
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch display Neither has Touch display

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Physical Comparison

In case you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-1 has physical measurements 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 RX100 II has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-1 versus Sony RX100 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-1 and the RX100 II.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and RX100 II is 59 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Sensor Comparison

Quite often, its tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizing only by viewing technical specs. The visual here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and RX100 II.

As you have seen, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Sony RX100 II will result in more detail with its extra 15 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics way more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-1 Portrait photography advice
Sony RX100 II Portrait photography advice
46
you can focus manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
doesn't have liveview
sensor resolution low (5MP)
70
has manual focus
above average flash sync speed (1/2,000 seconds)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
provides face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-1 Street photography advice
Sony RX100 II Street photography advice
57
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
environment sealing
lighter than competitors in class (735 grams)
no moving screen
no image stabilization
85
screen tilts
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is nice (1")
delivers RAW formats
lighter than others (281g)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-1 as a Sports photography camera
Sony RX100 II as a Sports photography camera
40
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
environment sealing
supports phase detect autofocus
doesn't have liveview
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5MP)
67
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
provides tracking autofocus
good battery life (350 CIPA)
lack of phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-1 Travel photography details
Sony RX100 II Travel photography details
47
lighter than competitors in class (735 grams)
environment sealing
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
sensor resolution low (5MP)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
80
good battery life (350 per charge)
lighter than others (281 grams)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
has built in flash
rather wide (28mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-1 Landscape photography details
Sony RX100 II Landscape photography details
46
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
environment sealing
small screen (1.8")
doesn't have liveview
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5 megapixels)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
74
has manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
delivers RAW formats
good battery life (350 shots)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 Vlogging highlights
Sony RX100 II Vlogging highlights
9
can't record video
37
rather wide (28mm)
fast maximum aperture (f1.8)
image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection autofocus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than others (281g)
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of external mic socket
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Olympus E-1 vs Sony RX100 II Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Sony RX100 II
 Olympus E-1Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
General Information
Company Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus E-1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II
Class Pro DSLR Large Sensor Compact
Launched 2003-11-29 2013-06-27
Physical type Large SLR Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 5MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 2560 x 1920 5472 x 3648
Max native ISO 3200 12800
Max enhanced ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 160
RAW format
Minimum enhanced ISO - 100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 3 25
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-100mm (3.6x)
Maximal aperture - f/1.8-4.9
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Number of lenses 45 -
Crop factor 2.1 2.7
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen size 1.8" 3"
Resolution of screen 134k dots 1,229k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen technology - Xtra Fine WhiteMagic TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.48x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shutter rate 3.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 15.00 m (ISO Auto (W))
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/180s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 735 gr (1.62 pounds) 281 gr (0.62 pounds)
Physical dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 102 x 58 x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 67
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.5
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 483
Other
Battery life - 350 shots
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (10 sec. / 2 sec. / Self-portrait One-person/ Self-portrait Two-person/ Self timer Continuous (3 or 5 shots))
Time lapse shooting With downloadable app
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Price at release $1,700 $598