Olympus E-500 vs Samsung HZ50W

Here, we are matching up the Olympus E-500 versus Samsung HZ50W, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Samsung. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and HZ50W (14MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and HZ50W (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-500 was launched 5 years prior to the HZ50W and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Samsung HZ50W being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-500 grades versus the HZ50W when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 & Samsung HZ50W. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Samsung HZ50W Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 has 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) whilst the Samsung HZ50W has sizing of 116mm x 83mm x 91mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.6") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-500 versus Samsung HZ50W in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-500 vs the HZ50W.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and HZ50W is 70 and 70 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The graphic here might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and HZ50W.

As you have seen, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-500 because of its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh easier and the Samsung HZ50W will result in extra detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.