Olympus E-500 vs Sony S980

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-500 and Sony S980, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and S980 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-500 was introduced 4 years earlier than the S980 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-500 matches up vs the S980 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.

In case you're planning to travel with your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 features physical dimensions 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 S980 has sizing of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-500 and Sony S980 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-500 vs the S980.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and S980 is 70 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions just by reading through specs. The picture below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and S980.

All in all, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 with its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony S980 will give more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.