Olympus E-500 vs Pentax H90

Here is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax H90, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and H90 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and H90 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was introduced 5 years earlier than the H90 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax H90 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-500 matches up versus the H90 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 & Pentax Optio H90. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Pentax H90 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 comes with physical measurements 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 Pentax H90 has specifications of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax H90 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the E-500 versus the H90.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and H90 is 70 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizing simply by reviewing specifications. The photograph below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and H90.

To sum up, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-500 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Pentax H90 will offer you extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.