Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GH5

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic GH5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and GH5 (20MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-500 was unveiled 12 years before the GH5 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GH5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-500 scores versus the GH5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic GH5 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 offers outside measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Panasonic GH5 has sizing of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") with a weight of 725 grams (1.60 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic GH5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-500 against the GH5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and GH5 is 70 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and GH5.

As you can see, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You can anticipate the Panasonic GH5 to give you extra detail having an extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind in sensor technology.