Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic G1

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic G1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and G1 (12MP) but they come with the same exact sensor size (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was unveiled 4 years prior to the G1 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic G1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-500 grades against the G1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic G1 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-500 has got physical 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 Panasonic G1 has proportions of 124mm x 84mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 360 grams (0.79 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic G1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-500 and the G1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and G1 is 70 and 82 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements purely by checking specifications. The visual underneath might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and G1.

To sum up, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You should anticipate the Panasonic G1 to give you extra detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.