Olympus E-500 vs Olympus PEN-F

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-500 versus Olympus PEN-F, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and PEN-F (20MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-500 was released 11 years before the PEN-F which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-500 matches up against the PEN-F in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 and Olympus PEN-F. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Olympus PEN-F Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 features physical measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Olympus PEN-F has dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 versus Olympus PEN-F in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-500 against the PEN-F.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and PEN-F is 70 and 84 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions just by viewing technical specs. The picture below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and PEN-F.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Olympus PEN-F to render more detail as a result of its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.