Olympus E-500 vs Sony HX400V

The following is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-500 vs Sony HX400V, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and HX400V (20MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and HX400V (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was launched 9 years prior to the HX400V which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX400V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-500 grades vs the HX400V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Sony HX400V Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 offers outer dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Sony HX400V has dimensions of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") accompanied by a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 vs Sony HX400V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-500 against the HX400V.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and HX400V is 70 and 62 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by checking technical specs. The pic underneath may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and HX400V.

As you can tell, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony HX400V will resolve greater detail utilizing its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.