Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-P1
70 Imaging
41 Features
34 Overall
38
86 Imaging
46 Features
42 Overall
44
Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-P1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 400 (Boost to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 479g - 130 x 95 x 66mm
- Released October 2005
- Alternate Name is EVOLT E-500
- New Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 355g - 121 x 70 x 36mm
- Introduced July 2009
- Replacement is Olympus E-P2
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Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-500 and Olympus E-P1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and E-P1 (12MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe E-500 was manufactured 4 years prior to the E-P1 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-500 scores against the E-P1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Olympus PEN E-P1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Olympus E-P1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-500 over the Olympus E-P1
| E-500 | E-P1 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P1 over the Olympus E-500
| E-P1 | E-500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | July 2009 | October 2005 | More modern by 45 months | |
| Display size | 3" | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 230k | 215k | Clearer display (+15k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-500 and Olympus E-P1
| E-500 | E-P1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | More accurate focusing | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Neither has selfie screen | |||
| Touch display | Neither has Touch display |
Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-P1 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 has physical measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Olympus E-P1 has sizing of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs).
See the Olympus E-500 and Olympus E-P1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-500 compared to the E-P1.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and E-P1 is 70 and 86 respectively.
Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-P1 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor sizes merely by seeing technical specs. The image below will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and E-P1.
As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus E-P1 to show extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-P1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-P1 Specifications
| Olympus E-500 | Olympus PEN E-P1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus E-500 | Olympus PEN E-P1 |
| Also called as | EVOLT E-500 | - |
| Type | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2005-10-21 | 2009-07-29 |
| Body design | Mid-size SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | - | TruePic V |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 8 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Maximum native ISO | 400 | 6400 |
| Maximum enhanced ISO | 1600 | - |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW files | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 11 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Total lenses | 45 | 107 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 2.5 inch | 3 inch |
| Screen resolution | 215k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Screen technology | - | HyperCrystal LCD with AR(Anti-Reflective) coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.45x | - |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter speed | 3.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
| Flash options | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash sync | 1/180 secs | 1/180 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
| Video format | - | Motion JPEG |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 479g (1.06 lb) | 355g (0.78 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 130 x 95 x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") | 121 x 70 x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 55 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 21.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 10.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 536 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 300 pictures |
| Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | BLS-1 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC card |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at release | $600 | $182 |