Olympus E-420 vs Sony A450

Below is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-420 and Sony A450, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and A450 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and A450 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

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The E-420 was announced 18 months before the A450 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact SLR).

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-420 grades versus the A450 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A450. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Sony A450 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 comes with outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony A450 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 and Sony A450 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 vs the A450.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and A450 is 77 and 65 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by looking through technical specs. The visual below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and A450.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-420 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A450 will provide you with extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older E-420 will be behind in sensor tech.