Olympus E-5 vs Sony HX1

Below is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-5 versus Sony HX1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and HX1 (1/2.4") offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was unveiled 22 months later than the HX1 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-5 scores versus the HX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-5 offers exterior measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-5 versus Sony HX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-5 compared to the HX1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and HX1 is 58 and 67 respectively.

Often, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing technical specs. The visual underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and HX1.

As you have seen, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-5 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-5 will result in extra detail having an extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The more recent E-5 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.