Olympus E-500 vs Sony WX1

Below is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-500 vs Sony WX1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-500 (8MP) and the WX1 (10MP) is fairly similar but the E-500 (Four Thirds) and WX1 (1/2.4") feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-500 was brought out 4 years before the WX1 and that is quite a significant gap 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 WX1 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-500 matches up versus the WX1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Sony WX1 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 provides exterior 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 WX1 has sizing of 91mm x 52mm x 20mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.8") and a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 vs Sony WX1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-500 and the WX1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and WX1 is 70 and 96 respectively.

Usually, its hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements only by going over specs. The visual below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and WX1.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-500 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Sony WX1 will offer extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a little more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.