Olympus E-500 vs Olympus XZ-1

Following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-500 and Olympus XZ-1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are produced by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-500 (8MP) and the XZ-1 (10MP) is pretty similar but the E-500 (Four Thirds) and XZ-1 (1/1.63") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-500 was announced 6 years prior to the XZ-1 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-500 grades against the XZ-1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 & Olympus XZ-1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you should take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 offers exterior dimensions 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 XZ-1 has specifications of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 and Olympus XZ-1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-500 versus the XZ-1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and XZ-1 is 70 and 88 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes only by going over specifications. The image below might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and XZ-1.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-500 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus XZ-1 will offer more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.