Olympus E-500 vs Sony A580

Following is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-500 and Sony A580, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and A580 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and A580 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-500 was brought out 6 years prior to the A580 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-500 grades versus the A580 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 has got exterior dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Sony A580 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-500 and Sony A580 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-500 versus the A580.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and A580 is 70 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizes purely by researching specs. The image below should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and A580.

All in all, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-500 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony A580 will result in extra detail having its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be behind in sensor technology.