Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GX85

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic GX85, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and GX85 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was unveiled 11 years prior to the GX85 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GX85 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-500 grades against the GX85 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic GX85 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 offers outside dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Panasonic GX85 has measurements of 122mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic GX85 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-500 and the GX85.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and GX85 is 70 and 83 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizing purely by reviewing specifications. The graphic underneath should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and GX85.

Plainly, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Panasonic GX85 to offer you extra detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.