Olympus E-510 vs Sony HX80

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-510 versus Sony HX80, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and HX80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was launched 9 years before the HX80 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-510 matches up vs the HX80 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-510 comes with exterior 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) while the Sony HX80 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-510 versus Sony HX80 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-510 compared to the HX80.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and HX80 is 69 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to envision the gap in sensor sizes just by going through technical specs. The image underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and HX80.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-510 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Sony HX80 will produce greater detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind in sensor technology.