Olympus E-420 vs Sony A700: A Deep-Dive Comparison for Discerning Photographers

In the world of digital SLRs, even vintage models like the Olympus E-420 and Sony Alpha DSLR A700 continue to spark interest among photographers who value durable builds, distinctive sensor designs, and handling nuances that marked their era. Both announced close to a decade and a half ago, these cameras offer a fascinating window into the technology landscape of their time, each carving its own niche in the entry-level and mid-range DSLR categories.

As someone who has tested thousands of cameras across genres and decades, I’m diving deep into the Olympus E-420 and Sony A700 with a methodical eye - assessing how their sensor technologies, autofocus systems, ergonomics, and real-world performance stack up when viewed through the lens of modern standards and classical photographic needs.

Let’s embark on this detailed comparison, analyzing these two interesting cameras to help you decide which one, if any, suits your photography goals and working style.

At First Glance: Handling and Ergonomics of Two Different Generations

Handling remains one of the most subjective yet crucial aspects of any camera. The Olympus E-420 was designed as a compact DSLR solution, aimed squarely at the entry-level crowd seeking portability above all else. In contrast, the Sony A700 is a more robust mid-sized DSLR with pro-level ambitions for its class, offering enhanced control layouts and a heavier, more substantial feel.

Physically, the Olympus E-420 measures a petite 130x91x53 mm and tips the scales at just 426 grams (body only). It’s noticeably smaller and lighter due to the Four Thirds system’s smaller sensor and compact design philosophy. This makes the E-420 extraordinarily travel-friendly and less taxing during long shoots filled with walking or handholding.

The Sony A700 ups the ante considerably with a 142x105x80 mm body and a heftier 768 grams. It’s a camera built for a more assertive grip and enduring use in tougher conditions, featuring partial weather resistance that the E-420 lacks altogether. For photographers who favor ergonomic confidence and don’t mind the extra poundage in exchange for sustained comfort and durability, the Sony A700 fulfills that role well.

Peek from Top: Control Layout and User Interface Smoothness

Olympus adopted a clean, minimalistic approach with the E-420’s top panel, reflecting its simpler target audience. The Sony, conversely, shows a more complex set of controls befitting photographers who demand quick access to nuanced settings.

Olympus’s fewer buttons and dials keep things straightforward; shutter speed and aperture priorities are supported, but there is less tactile feedback for rapid adjustment. The E-420’s fixed 2.7" low-resolution screen is serviceable but lacks the sophistication needed for detailed review or menu navigation, lacking touchscreen or articulating mechanisms.

Sony's A700 features a larger, high-resolution 3" screen (920k dots), offering a far clearer and more informative playback experience - a big advantage in the field. The Sony’s control dials and button placement are designed for quicker, more intuitive handling by enthusiasts who frequently switch shooting modes or tweak exposure settings on the fly.

The difference in viewfinder technology echoes this divide: Olympus’s pentamirror optical viewfinder with 95% coverage and 0.46x magnification is basic but functional. The Sony’s pentaprism viewfinder offers improved brightness and a wider 0.6x magnification, helping eye strain during intensive composition work.

Sensor Comparison: The Heart of Image Quality

Sensor size often governs image quality potential, and here the Sony A700’s APS-C sensor dwarfs Olympus’s Four Thirds sensor both in size and pixel count.

Olympus E-420’s sensor measures 17.3x13 mm with 10 megapixels, translating to a sensor area of roughly 225 square millimeters. Sony A700’s APS-C sensor - a generously sized 23.5x15.6 mm area - offers 12 megapixels and 366 square millimeters of active area. More sensor area means larger photodiodes or pixels, enabling better light gathering capability, dynamic range, and overall image fidelity.

Technical testing data reinforces this positioning. DxOMark’s ratings reflect an overall score of 56 for the Olympus E-420, with a color depth of 21.5 bits and a dynamic range of 10.4 EV. Low-light ISO performance caps near ISO 527, limiting flexibility under dim conditions. The Sony A700 outperforms noticeably, scoring 66 overall, 22.3 bits in color depth, and 11.9 EV dynamic range. It also pushes native ISO up to 6400, opening more options for handheld low-light or high-speed scenarios.

These differences manifest visibly in landscape, night, and portrait work - details we will unpack further.

Autofocus Systems in Action: Precision and Speed

Both cameras implement phase detection autofocus systems, but their approaches reflect their segment positioning. The Olympus E-420 offers 3 focus points with basic multi-area detection and contrast detection during live view mode. The Sony A700 ups this to 11 AF points, a clear advantage for tracking and faster acquisition.

In real-world testing, the Sony A700’s AF system demonstrated significantly quicker and more consistent focus locking, especially with moving subjects - a boon for wildlife and sports shooters. The Olympus, while adequate for static subjects and general purpose shots, looses ground with fast-action or low-contrast situations, where AF hunting can occur more frequently.

Neither camera supports eye or animal eye autofocus, a now-common convenience absent given their era.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Ruggedness Where It Counts

One area where the Sony A700 confidently asserts itself is in environmental sealing. While not fully weatherproof, the A700’s chassis offers protections against moisture and dust ingress - the kind found in unpredictable outdoor use.

The Olympus E-420 lacks any weatherproofing seals, signaling its intent as a careful indoor or casual outdoor shooter’s tool. Its plastic body construction aids lightness but sacrifices the reassurance a pro-travel or adventure photographer requires.

Lens Selection and Mount Compatibility

Image quality and versatility go hand in hand with lens choices. The E-420 uses the Four Thirds mount and supports 45 native lenses from Olympus and third-party makers. These lenses tend to be compact and optimized for the smaller sensor.

The Sony A700, via the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, boasts a wider ecosystem with over 140 lenses. This includes a wealth of legacy Minolta optics and newer Sony lenses, spanning the gamut from fast primes to telephoto zooms, expanding creative possibilities vastly - especially beneficial for portrait and wildlife specialists.

Battery Life and Storage Capabilities

Olympus’s E-420 impresses with a rated battery life of 500 shots - a respectable figure given its compact size and lower-power sensor. The Sony A700’s official battery life isn’t specified here but is known from testing in the mid-400s range. Both cameras support removable battery packs, but Sony’s NP-FM500H battery offers a solid capacity that powers its larger electronics comfortably.

Storage-wise, Sony offers dual card slots (Compact Flash and Memory Stick), enabling overflow and instant backups - key for professional workflows concerned with redundancy. Olympus relies on a single slot supporting Compact Flash and xD Picture Cards, which limits flexibility and could necessitate more frequent card changes in high-volume shooting.

Performance Across Photography Genres

Portrait Photography: Rendering Skin Tones and Background Blur

Portraits benefit from skin tone fidelity, sensor resolution, and lens options to create creamy bokeh. The Sony A700’s larger sensor and better color depth translate to more nuanced, lifelike skin rendition. Combined with a broad lens selection - including fast primes like the 50mm f/1.4 - this camera easily crafts flattering portraits with smooth background separation and pleasant color gradations.

The Olympus E-420, while serviceable, is handicapped by a smaller sensor size and fewer native lenses with wide apertures. Skin tones tend to be less nuanced, offering a somewhat flatter tonal range. Additionally, the Four Thirds system’s 2.1x crop factor makes achieving shallow depth-of-field effects more challenging, unless you have the budget for expensive, fast lenses designed for that mount.

Landscape Photography: Resolution and Dynamic Range Tested

Landscape photographers prize dynamic range and resolution to faithfully record wide tonal variations from shadows to highlights. The Sony A700 again shines with its superior dynamic range and higher resolution. Additionally, it boasts partial weather sealing for shooting in fog or misty mountain environments, granting peace of mind.

The Olympus E-420’s 10 MP resolution is respectable but falls short compared to 12 MP plus a wider aspect ratio support (3:2 and 16:9) on the Sony. Olympus’s 4:3 sensor aspect ratio may appeal to some for print layouts but is less versatile for widescreen framing.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Speed, Autofocus, and Burst Rates

Sony built the A700 for energetic shooting environments. Its 5 frames-per-second burst rate and advanced 11-point AF system enable better subject tracking for wildlife or sports action, where milliseconds matter. The selectable autofocus areas further empower precise lock-on.

The Olympus E-420 offers a 4 fps burst, slightly slower, and only a 3-point AF system, lacking comprehensive tracking capabilities. While still usable for casual wildlife, moving sports demands will expose its limitations.

Street and Travel Photography: Discreteness and Portability

For street shooters valuing light, nimble equipment, the Olympus E-420’s small size and minimal profile make it appealing. Its quiet shutter and lighter weight enable less intrusive shooting.

The Sony A700, being bulkier and louder mechanically, may draw more attention but delivers more control and image quality advantages. Battery life and dual card slots make it reliable for extended travel, despite its greater weight.

Macro and Close-Up Work: Precision Focus and Stabilization

Close-up work requires precise focusing. Neither camera supports in-body image stabilization, an increasingly common aid for macro photography. Lens stabilization options exist primarily on Sony’s ecosystem. Olympus’s smaller sensor though does advantageously increase depth of field at equivalent apertures for macro.

Focus peaking or stacking features are absent here, as were niche functions at their release.

Night and Astro Photography: ISO Performance and Exposure Options

Sony’s significant edge in high ISO capability (6400 vs 1600 max ISO on Olympus) offers tangible benefits for low-light or night/star photography. Higher dynamic range and better noise control extend useful exposures with handheld or tripod gains.

Neither camera incorporates special astro modes or bulb exposure refinements native to newer bodies, necessitating manual awkwardness for long exposures and star trails.

Video Capabilities

Neither the Olympus E-420 nor the Sony A700 offers video capture abilities - a limitation understandable for their period of release but a dealbreaker if video hybrid shooting is in your plans.

Professional Suitability: File Management and Workflow Integration

Both cameras support Raw capture - essential for professional post-processing fidelity. Sony’s richer output files and better sensor qualities give it an advantage to extract detail and latitude in professional workflows. Dual card slots also assist reliability in professional workstreams.

Build quality and weather resistance again make the Sony A700 more dependable for on-location assignments. However, the lack of tethering or wireless capabilities in both means they require traditional workflows.

Connectivity and Extras

Connectivity is sparse on both. Neither supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, or NFC, reflecting the era’s nascent wireless standards. USB 2.0 serves file transfers. Only the Sony A700 features an HDMI port for direct connection to displays, which can aid image review sessions or presentations.

Putting It All Together: What Suits Whom?

After this comprehensive review, it’s clear that although the Olympus E-420 and Sony A700 share some DSLR traits, they address markedly different user bases.

Choose the Olympus E-420 if you:

• Prioritize portability and ease of use in an entry-level DSLR
• Mostly shoot casual portraits, travel, or street photography with modest demands on burst speed or low-light
• Prefer a Four Thirds lens ecosystem’s compactness
• Have budget constraints and value a lightweight system for easy carry

Opt for the Sony A700 if you:

• Need more robust image quality, dynamic range, and low-light capability
• Shoot sports, wildlife, or landscapes demanding faster autofocus, higher burst rates, and weather sealing
• Want a wider native lens selection with pro-level control ergonomics
• Require dual card slots and better file management reliability for professional workflow integration

Closing Thoughts: Legacy Cameras Still Worth Considering

While these cameras don’t compete with today’s mirrorless marvels or high-res full-frame flagships, their technological footprints are still instructive and practical in certain niches. Testing models like these calls attention back to core photographic fundamentals - sensor performance meets handling balance. And for photographers with a vintage gear fetish or on a gentle budget, both Olympus E-420 and Sony A700 remain charming companions that reward study.

They remind us that great images come from knowing your tool intimately and matching it with your shooting style - not just from specs on paper.

If you’re inclined toward lean, compact shooting with respectable image quality, the Olympus E-420 is a lightweight champion. If image fidelity, speed, and rugged reliability are your focus, the Sony A700 stands as the more complete package.

Sample Gallery: Visual Evidence From Both Cameras

No comparison is complete without side-by-side imagery for real-world color, sharpness, and tonal reproduction. Below, samples from each demonstrate their respective strengths and limitations.

Olympus E 420 screen back Sony A700 front Sony A700 screen back

In sum, my hands-on experience across testing scenarios confirms that the Sony A700 carved out a niche as a compelling advanced DSLR for enthusiasts, while the Olympus E-420 remains an efficient, approachable entry-level choice. Your choice should ultimately reflect what genres you prioritize, your shooting conditions, and ergonomic preferences.

Both these cameras still tell stories through their sensors - sometimes the best camera is the one that feels right in your hands.

Thanks for reading this detailed comparison. Feel free to share your experiences or questions about these distinctive DSLRs below.