Olympus E-500 vs Sony A200

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-500 vs Sony A200, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-500 (8MP) and the A200 (10MP) is pretty well matched but the E-500 (Four Thirds) and A200 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The E-500 was announced 3 years prior to the A200 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A200 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-500 grades versus the A200 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A200. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Sony A200 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and size. 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) while the Sony A200 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 2.8") having a weight of 572 grams (1.26 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 vs Sony A200 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-500 against the A200.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and A200 is 70 and 66 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by checking specs. The image underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and A200.

All in all, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A200 will resolve more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.