Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GF5

Following is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GF5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and GF5 (12MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-500 was manufactured 7 years before the GF5 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-500 matches up versus the GF5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic GF5 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-500 offers 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) while the Panasonic GF5 has proportions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GF5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 against the GF5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and GF5 is 70 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and GF5.

As you can see, both cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You should expect the Panasonic GF5 to offer extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.