Olympus E-5 vs Sony W550

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-5 and Sony W550, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the W550 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and W550 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-5 was announced 5 months earlier than the W550 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-5 scores versus the W550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Sony W550 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-5 offers external measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Sony W550 has sizing of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-5 and Sony W550 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-5 compared to the W550.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and W550 is 58 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading technical specs. The photograph here should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and W550.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-5 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Sony W550 will offer you extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images much more aggressively.