Olympus E-500 vs Olympus 1

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus E-500 and Olympus 1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and 1 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and 1 (1/1.7") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was unveiled 9 years earlier than the 1 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-500 matches up against the 1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 and Olympus Stylus 1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Olympus 1 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 features external measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Olympus 1 has measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") and a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs).

See the Olympus E-500 and Olympus 1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-500 compared to the 1.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and 1 is 70 and 79 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through specs. The visual below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and 1.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-500 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus 1 will give you greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.