Olympus E-400 vs Sony RX1R

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-400 and Sony RX1R, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and RX1R (Full frame) have different sensor size.

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The E-400 was revealed 7 years earlier than the RX1R and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-400 matches up versus the RX1R in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-400 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Sony RX1R Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 offers exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) and the Sony RX1R has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-400 and Sony RX1R in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-400 and the RX1R.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-400 and RX1R is 77 and 79 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-400 and RX1R.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-400 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Sony RX1R will give you greater detail because of its extra 14 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older E-400 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.