Olympus E-510 vs Pentax MX-1

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-510 versus Pentax MX-1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is very well matched but the E-510 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-510 was announced 6 years earlier than the MX-1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-510 grades versus the MX-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 and Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 has got outer dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Pentax MX-1 has specifications of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") having a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-510 versus Pentax MX-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-510 versus the MX-1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and MX-1 is 69 and 84 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements purely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and MX-1.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-510 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Pentax MX-1 will give greater detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-510 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.