Olympus E-5 vs Sony A380

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-5 vs Sony A380, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the A380 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) boast different sensor size.

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The E-5 was announced 18 months later than the A380 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-5 scores versus the A380 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-5 enjoys outer measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Sony A380 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-5 vs Sony A380 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-5 versus the A380.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and A380 is 58 and 68 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing merely by going through specs. The photograph here will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and A380.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-5 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Sony A380 will show greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The newer E-5 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.