Olympus E-510 vs Sony RX10

Here, we are matching up the Olympus E-510 and Sony RX10, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and RX10 (20MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and RX10 (1") provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was launched 7 years earlier than the RX10 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-510 scores vs the RX10 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-510 offers external dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Sony RX10 has measurements of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") with a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 and Sony RX10 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-510 against the RX10.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and RX10 is 69 and 58 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes only by seeing specifications. The image underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and RX10.

Plainly, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-510 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony RX10 will provide greater detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind in sensor tech.