Olympus E-1 vs Sony TX20

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-1 versus Sony TX20, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and TX20 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and TX20 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-1 was released 9 years prior to the TX20 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony TX20 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-1 grades against the TX20 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Sony TX20 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 enjoys physical measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Sony TX20 has sizing of 96mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-1 versus Sony TX20 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-1 against the TX20.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and TX20 is 59 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The graphic below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and TX20.

As you can tell, both cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony TX20 will show extra detail as a result of its extra 11MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind in sensor innovation.