Olympus E-1 vs Sony A57

In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus E-1 and Sony A57, former is a Pro DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and A57 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-1 was brought out 9 years earlier than the A57 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-1 grades vs the A57 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-1 & Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-1 comes with 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) while the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 and Sony A57 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-1 and the A57.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and A57 is 59 and 64 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by checking specs. The picture below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and A57.

All in all, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-1 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A57 will give more detail having its extra 11 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.