Olympus E-510 vs Sony A380

Here is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-510 and Sony A380, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and A380 (14MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-510 was announced 21 months prior to the A380 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-510 matches up against the A380 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 enjoys 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) and the Sony A380 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-510 and Sony A380 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-510 against the A380.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and A380 is 69 and 68 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizing purely by going over technical specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and A380.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-510 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A380 will deliver greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older E-510 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.