Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic TS5

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic TS5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and TS5 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and TS5 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was launched 8 years prior to the TS5 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic TS5 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-500 grades versus the TS5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic TS5 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 features physical dimensions 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 TS5 has sizing of 110mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic TS5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-500 compared to the TS5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and TS5 is 70 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions merely by researching technical specs. The picture below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and TS5.

As you can tell, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic TS5 will result in more detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.