Olympus E-510 vs Sony RX1

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-510 versus Sony RX1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and RX1 (Full frame) boast totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was released 6 years prior to the RX1 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-510 grades versus the RX1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Sony RX1 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 comes with 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 RX1 has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") having a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-510 versus Sony RX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the E-510 against the RX1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and RX1 is 69 and 79 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to see the difference in sensor sizes just by researching a spec sheet. The pic here will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and RX1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-510 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony RX1 will result in more detail as a result of its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.