Olympus E-5 vs Sony A58

Here is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-5 and Sony A58, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and A58 (20MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and A58 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-5 was launched 3 years before the A58 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a in depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-5 grades versus the A58 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 and Sony SLT-A58. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 has got physical measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Sony A58 has specifications of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-5 and Sony A58 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-5 vs the A58.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and A58 is 58 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizing simply by looking at specs. The graphic underneath may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and A58.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-5 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony A58 will give you greater detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older E-5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.