Olympus E-510 vs Sony HX1

Below is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-510 and Sony HX1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the HX1 (9MP) is relatively close but the E-510 (Four Thirds) and HX1 (1/2.4") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was revealed 17 months prior to the HX1 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-510 scores versus the HX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 offers exterior dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Sony HX1 has proportions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-510 and Sony HX1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-510 compared to the HX1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and HX1 is 69 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The graphic here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and HX1.

Plainly, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-510 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-510 will result in extra detail because of its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.