Olympus E-500 vs Sony QX1

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-500 vs Sony QX1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Lens-style by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and QX1 (20MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and QX1 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was introduced 9 years prior to the QX1 which is quite a large difference 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 QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before delving in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-500 scores versus the QX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Sony Alpha QX1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Sony QX1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 enjoys physical 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 QX1 has measurements of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") and a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Olympus E-500 vs Sony QX1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-500 and the QX1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and QX1 is 70 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The picture here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and QX1.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-500 using its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Sony QX1 will resolve more detail using its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.