Olympus E-450 vs Sony A500

In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus E-450 vs Sony A500, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-450 (10MP) and the A500 (12MP) is fairly similar but the E-450 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-450 was revealed 4 months prior to the A500 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the E-450 scores versus the A500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-450 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-450 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-450 features physical dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-450 vs Sony A500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-450 against the A500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-450 and A500 is 77 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to see the contrast between sensor sizes simply by going over specifications. The picture below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-450 and A500.

Plainly, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-450 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A500 will deliver greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images far more aggressively.