Olympus E-500 vs Sony A55

Here is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-500 and Sony A55, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and A55 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and A55 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-500 was unveiled 5 years before the A55 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-500 scores against the A55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Sony SLT-A55. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 comes with outside measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Sony A55 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-500 and Sony A55 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-500 versus the A55.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and A55 is 70 and 67 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizing just by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and A55.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-500 using its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Sony A55 will resolve greater detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.