Olympus E-510 vs Sony NEX-5T

In this article, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-510 and Sony NEX-5T, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5T (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The E-510 was revealed 6 years before the NEX-5T which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-510 grades vs the NEX-5T in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 offers physical 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 NEX-5T has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-510 and Sony NEX-5T in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-510 vs the NEX-5T.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and NEX-5T is 69 and 89 respectively.

Often, its tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes only by checking out technical specs. The picture underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and NEX-5T.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-510 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-5T will show extra detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind in sensor innovation.