Olympus E-500 vs Sigma SD15

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-500 and Sigma SD15, both Advanced DSLR cameras by competitors Olympus and Sigma. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and SD15 (5MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and SD15 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was released 5 years earlier than the SD15 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before we go straight to a in depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-500 grades versus the SD15 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 and Sigma SD15. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Sigma SD15 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 offers physical dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Sigma SD15 has sizing of 144mm x 107mm x 81mm (5.7" x 4.2" x 3.2") along with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-500 and Sigma SD15 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-500 against the SD15.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and SD15 is 70 and 59 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by looking through specifications. The picture below might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and SD15.

To sum up, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus E-500 will provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.