Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-PL5

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-510 versus Olympus E-PL5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are offered by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and E-PL5 (16MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was introduced 5 years prior to the E-PL5 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a in depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-510 matches up vs the E-PL5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 & Olympus PEN E-PL5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Olympus E-PL5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-510 offers outer 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-PL5 has dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-510 versus Olympus E-PL5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-510 vs the E-PL5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and E-PL5 is 69 and 88 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading technical specs. The visual below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and E-PL5.

As you can tell, each of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You can anticipate the Olympus E-PL5 to offer you greater detail using its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images more aggressively. The older E-510 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.