Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-PM1

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-PM1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both designed by Olympus. The resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the E-PM1 (12MP) is pretty comparable and both cameras offer the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-510 was unveiled 5 years before the E-PM1 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-510 matches up against the E-PM1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 and Olympus PEN E-PM1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Olympus E-PM1 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 has exterior dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Olympus E-PM1 has sizing of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-PM1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-510 against the E-PM1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and E-PM1 is 69 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to see the difference in sensor sizing purely by going through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and E-PM1.

Clearly, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You should expect the Olympus E-PM1 to produce greater detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The older E-510 will be behind in sensor tech.