Olympus E-5 vs Sony HX80

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-5 vs Sony HX80, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and HX80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-5 was brought out 6 years before the HX80 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-5 scores vs the HX80 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony HX80 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-5 comes with outer measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Sony HX80 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-5 vs Sony HX80 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-5 versus the HX80.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and HX80 is 58 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements just by going through specifications. The visual underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and HX80.

Plainly, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-5 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Sony HX80 will provide more detail having its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older E-5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.