Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-500

Following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-500, both Advanced DSLR cameras and both are offered by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and E-500 (8MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-3 was brought out 2 years after the E-500 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-3 matches up vs the E-500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Olympus E-500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Olympus E-500 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 has got outside dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Olympus E-500 has specifications of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-3 and the E-500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and E-500 is 56 and 70 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizes only by checking out technical specs. The pic underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and E-500.

As you can tell, both of those cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-3 to produce greater detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher E-3 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.