Olympus E-5 vs Sony A37

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-5 and Sony A37, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and A37 (16MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and A37 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-5 was launched 15 months earlier than the A37 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-5 grades versus the A37 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-5 & Sony SLT-A37. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Sony A37 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-5 has got 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 A37 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-5 and Sony A37 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-5 vs the A37.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and A37 is 58 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and A37.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-5 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A37 will show more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older E-5 will be behind in sensor innovation.