Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-PL1

Here is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-PL1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are designed by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the E-PL1 (12MP) is pretty similar and they possess the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-510 was announced 3 years prior to the E-PL1 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-510 matches up against the E-PL1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 & Olympus PEN E-PL1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Olympus E-PL1 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 has exterior measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL1 has specifications of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-PL1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-510 vs the E-PL1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and E-PL1 is 69 and 86 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to picture the difference between sensor sizing merely by going over specs. The graphic below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and E-PL1.

All in all, each of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-PL1 to offer more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older E-510 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.