Olympus E-5 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Below is a complete overview of the Olympus E-5 and Sigma SD1 Merrill, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by companies Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is very well matched but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was manufactured 14 months earlier than the SD1 Merrill making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before delving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-5 matches up against the SD1 Merrill with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-5 and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-5 enjoys outside measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has sizing of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-5 and Sigma SD1 Merrill in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-5 compared to the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and SD1 Merrill is 58 and 57 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to imagine the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and SD1 Merrill.

Clearly, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-5 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will give you extra detail due to its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The older E-5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.