Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-M5

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-510 versus Olympus E-M5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and E-M5 (16MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was unveiled 5 years prior to the E-M5 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-510 grades vs the E-M5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 & Olympus OM-D E-M5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Olympus E-M5 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-510 comes with exterior measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Olympus E-M5 has measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-510 versus Olympus E-M5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-510 versus the E-M5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and E-M5 is 69 and 81 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizing merely by checking out specifications. The graphic here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and E-M5.

To sum up, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You can count on the Olympus E-M5 to produce more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older E-510 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.