Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-PL9

Here is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-PL9, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are sold by Olympus. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and E-PL9 (16MP) but they use the same exact sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-510 was announced 11 years prior to the E-PL9 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-510 grades against the E-PL9 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 & Olympus PEN E-PL9. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Olympus E-PL9 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 offers outside dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL9 has proportions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-PL9 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-510 versus the E-PL9.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and E-PL9 is 69 and 85 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizing only by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and E-PL9.

As you can see, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You can count on the Olympus E-PL9 to provide extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.