Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37
59 Imaging
38 Features
36 Overall
37


67 Imaging
57 Features
65 Overall
60
Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
- Announced November 2003
- Successor is Olympus E-3
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.6" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 506g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
- Launched May 2012
- Superseded the Sony A35

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Overview
Below is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and A37 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and A37 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

The E-1 was unveiled 9 years earlier than the A37 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before delving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-1 grades vs the A37 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-1 and Sony SLT-A37. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Sony A37 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Sony A37
E-1 | A37 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A37 over the Olympus E-1
A37 | E-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | May 2012 | ![]() | November 2003 | More recent by 103 months |
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display dimension | 2.6" | ![]() | 1.8" | Larger display (+0.8") |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 134k | Sharper display (+96k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Sony A37
E-1 | A37 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Missing Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Physical Comparison
If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 has outer 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 A37 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-1 vs the A37.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and A37 is 59 and 67 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and A37.
As you can see, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-1 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A37 will deliver more detail having an extra 11MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Sony A37 Specifications
Olympus E-1 | Sony SLT-A37 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus E-1 | Sony SLT-A37 |
Category | Pro DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2003-11-29 | 2012-05-16 |
Physical type | Large SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 5 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 2560 x 1920 | 4912 x 3264 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 45 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 1.8 inch | 2.6 inch |
Display resolution | 134k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440k dots |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.48x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 3.0fps | 6.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/180 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 735 grams (1.62 lbs) | 506 grams (1.12 lbs) |
Dimensions | 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") | 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 75 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.3 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.9 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 799 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 500 shots |
Battery type | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail pricing | $1,700 | $522 |