Olympus E-510 vs Sony HX9V

The following is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-510 versus Sony HX9V, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and HX9V (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and HX9V (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was announced 4 years before the HX9V which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX9V being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-510 grades versus the HX9V when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony HX9V Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-510 has exterior dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Sony HX9V has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-510 versus Sony HX9V in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-510 against the HX9V.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and HX9V is 69 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions just by checking out a spec sheet. The picture underneath will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and HX9V.

As you can see, each of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony HX9V will show more detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.