Olympus E-5 vs Sony HX9V

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-5 versus Sony HX9V, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and HX9V (16MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and HX9V (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-5 was unveiled 5 months earlier than the HX9V and they are both of a similar age. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX9V being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-5 grades versus the HX9V with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony HX9V Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 features outside dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Sony HX9V has specifications of 105mm x 59mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-5 versus Sony HX9V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-5 compared to the HX9V.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and HX9V is 58 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through specs. The graphic underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and HX9V.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-5 with its larger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Sony HX9V will show greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively.