Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-M1

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-M1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Pro Mirrorless and they are both designed by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and E-M1 (16MP) but they use the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-510 was revealed 7 years earlier than the E-M1 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-510 matches up vs the E-M1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 & Olympus OM-D E-M1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Olympus E-M1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-510 provides outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) while the Olympus E-M1 has dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-M1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-510 and the E-M1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and E-M1 is 69 and 71 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizing purely by checking out a spec sheet. The visual underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and E-M1.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Olympus E-M1 to show extra detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The older E-510 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.