Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230
70 Imaging
41 Features
34 Overall
38
69 Imaging
50 Features
40 Overall
46
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 400 (Increase to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 479g - 130 x 95 x 66mm
- Revealed October 2005
- Also Known as EVOLT E-500
- Newer Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Overview
Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-500 (8MP) and the A230 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-500 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe E-500 was launched 4 years earlier than the A230 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-500 grades vs the A230 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-500 over the Sony A230
E-500 | A230 |
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Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Olympus E-500
A230 | E-500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | May 2009 | October 2005 | Newer by 43 months | |
Screen dimensions | 2.7" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.2") | |
Screen resolution | 230k | 215k | Crisper screen (+15k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-500 and Sony A230
E-500 | A230 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | Dial accurate focusing | |||
Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
Selfie screen | No selfie screen | |||
Touch screen | No Touch screen |
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison
In case you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 offers outside 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 Sony A230 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-500 vs the A230.
Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and A230 is 70 and 69 respectively.
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by checking out technical specs. The image underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and A230.
As you can tell, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A230 will show greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-500 vs Sony A230 Specifications
Olympus E-500 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus E-500 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 |
Also referred to as | EVOLT E-500 | - |
Category | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2005-10-21 | 2009-05-18 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8MP | 10MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 3872 x 2592 |
Highest native ISO | 400 | 3200 |
Highest boosted ISO | 1600 | - |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 45 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 2.5 inch | 2.7 inch |
Screen resolution | 215 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.45x | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 3.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) | 10.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Highest video resolution | None | None |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 479 grams (1.06 lbs) | 490 grams (1.08 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 95 x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") | 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 63 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.3 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.4 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 531 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 230 pictures |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Cost at launch | $600 | $569 |