Olympus E-500 vs Sony NEX-5T

Here is a detailed analysis of the Olympus E-500 and Sony NEX-5T, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5T (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was launched 8 years earlier than the NEX-5T and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-500 matches up against the NEX-5T with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 comes with external measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5T has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-500 and Sony NEX-5T in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-500 versus the NEX-5T.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and NEX-5T is 70 and 89 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizing merely by going over a spec sheet. The graphic underneath might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and NEX-5T.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Sony NEX-5T will offer you extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.