Olympus E-510 vs Samsung MV800

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus E-510 and Samsung MV800, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There exists a noticeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and MV800 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and MV800 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-510 was brought out 4 years earlier than the MV800 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Samsung MV800 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-510 scores against the MV800 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 & Samsung MV800. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Samsung MV800 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 has outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Samsung MV800 has sizing of 92mm x 56mm x 10mm (3.6" x 2.2" x 0.4") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-510 and Samsung MV800 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-510 versus the MV800.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and MV800 is 69 and 97 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions just by seeing technical specs. The picture below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and MV800.

As you have seen, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Samsung MV800 will show greater detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.