Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic G10

Below, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic G10, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and G10 (12MP) but they use the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-500 was revealed 5 years before the G10 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic G10 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-500 grades against the G10 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic G10 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 features outer 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 Panasonic G10 has dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 74mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 2.9") with a weight of 388 grams (0.86 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic G10 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-500 vs the G10.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and G10 is 70 and 72 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing just by reading technical specs. The graphic below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and G10.

As you have seen, each of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You can count on the Panasonic G10 to offer you more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.