Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-PM2

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-500 versus Olympus E-PM2, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are produced by Olympus. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and E-PM2 (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was announced 8 years before the E-PM2 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-500 scores vs the E-PM2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 and Olympus PEN E-PM2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Olympus E-PM2 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 features external measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Olympus E-PM2 has specifications of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-500 versus Olympus E-PM2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-500 against the E-PM2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and E-PM2 is 70 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements merely by going over technical specs. The photograph here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and E-PM2.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You should expect to see the Olympus E-PM2 to deliver more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.