Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100
70 Imaging
41 Features
34 Overall
38
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64 Imaging
48 Features
38 Overall
44
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 400 (Boost to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 479g - 130 x 95 x 66mm
- Introduced October 2005
- Alternative Name is EVOLT E-500
- Refreshed by Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 10MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 638g - 133 x 95 x 71mm
- Launched July 2006
- Previous Model is Konica Minolta 5D
- Later Model is Sony A550
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Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Overview
In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-500 versus Sony A100, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-500 (8MP) and the A100 (10MP) is very comparable but the E-500 (Four Thirds) and A100 (APS-C) feature different sensor size.
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The E-500 was brought out 9 months before the A100 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-500 grades versus the A100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-500 over the Sony A100
E-500 | A100 |
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Reasons to pick Sony A100 over the Olympus E-500
A100 | E-500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | July 2006 | ![]() | October 2005 | Newer by 9 months |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 215k | Clearer display (+15k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-500 and Sony A100
E-500 | A100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display sizing | 2.5" | ![]() | 2.5" | Equivalent display size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Lacking Touch display |
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 offers outer 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) whilst the Sony A100 has specifications of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-500 versus Sony A100 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-500 versus the A100.
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Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and A100 is 70 and 64 respectively.
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Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's tough to picture the gap in sensor dimensions simply by checking out technical specs. The pic below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and A100.
As you have seen, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A100 will produce greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.
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Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-500 vs Sony A100 Specifications
Olympus E-500 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus E-500 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 |
Otherwise known as | EVOLT E-500 | - |
Category | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Introduced | 2005-10-21 | 2006-07-31 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
Full resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 3872 x 2592 |
Max native ISO | 400 | 1600 |
Max boosted ISO | 1600 | - |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 45 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 2.5 inches | 2.5 inches |
Resolution of display | 215 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.45x | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) | - |
Flash options | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/180 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Max video resolution | None | None |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 479 gr (1.06 lbs) | 638 gr (1.41 lbs) |
Dimensions | 130 x 95 x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") | 133 x 95 x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 61 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.0 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.2 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 476 |
Other | ||
Battery ID | - | NP-FM55H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | Compact Flash (Type I or II) |
Card slots | One | One |
Price at launch | $600 | $1,000 |