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Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500

Portability
77
Imaging
44
Features
31
Overall
38
Olympus E-400 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 front
Portability
63
Imaging
52
Features
52
Overall
52

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Key Specs

Olympus E-400
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 435g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
  • Revealed September 2006
  • Replacement is Olympus E-410
Sony A500
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Introduced August 2009
  • Refreshed by Sony A560
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Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Overview

Following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-400 versus Sony A500, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the A500 (12MP) is very similar but the E-400 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-400 was brought out 3 years earlier than the A500 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before getting through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-400 matches up vs the A500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-400 over the Sony A500

 E-400 A500 

Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus E-400

 A500 E-400 
IntroducedAugust 2009September 2006More modern by 35 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution230k215kCrisper display (+15k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-400 and Sony A500

 E-400 A500 
Focus manually Dial accurate focusing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly display Lacking Touch friendly display

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison

If you're planning to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 has got outside measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-400 versus Sony A500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-400 versus the A500.

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and A500 is 77 and 63 respectively.

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is tough to envision the contrast between sensor sizes only by reading a spec sheet. The picture here may provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-400 and A500.

Clearly, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-400 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A500 will offer you greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The more aged E-400 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-400 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A500 as a Portrait photography camera
46
focusing manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
does not have liveview
no manual mode
low MP (10 megapixels)
63
focusing manually
decent sensor size (APS-C)
features face detection focus
saves RAW formats
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-400
Street photography with Sony A500
60
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
74
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-400 Sports photography highlights
Sony A500 Sports photography highlights
38
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
has phase detect autofocus
does not have liveview
slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
low MP (10MP)
51
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
has phase detect auto focus
continuous shooting slow (5.0 frames per second)
low megapixels (12MP)
terrible battery (520 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-400 Travel photography highlights
Sony A500 Travel photography highlights
49
has built in flash
no Time Lapse function
low MP (10MP)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
43
has built in flash
no Time Lapse recording
terrible battery (520 CIPA)
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-400
Landscape photography with Sony A500
45
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
tiny screen (2.5")
does not have liveview
no manual mode
lack of image stabilization
low MP (10MP)
no Time Lapse function
60
focusing manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
low megapixels (12MP)
terrible battery (520 shots)
no Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-400 Vlogging features
Sony A500 Vlogging features
9
lack of video recording
9
no video
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Olympus E-400 vs Sony A500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-400 and Sony A500
 Olympus E-400Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus E-400 Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
Category Entry-Level DSLR Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2006-09-14 2009-08-27
Body design Compact SLR Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 4272 x 2848
Highest native ISO 1600 12800
Minimum native ISO 100 200
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 3 9
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Sony/Minolta Alpha
Amount of lenses 45 143
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display size 2.5" 3"
Display resolution 215 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage 95% 95%
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x 0.53x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames/s 5.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 10.00 m (at ISO 100) 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 sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Highest video resolution None None
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 435 grams (0.96 lb) 630 grams (1.39 lb)
Dimensions 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 64
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 21.8
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 772
Other
Battery life - 520 photos
Battery format - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Retail pricing $599 $638