Olympus E-510 vs Sony RX100

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-510 versus Sony RX100, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and RX100 (1") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-510 was revealed 5 years before the RX100 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-510 grades versus the RX100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony RX100 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-510 offers physical 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) and the Sony RX100 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 versus Sony RX100 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-510 against the RX100.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and RX100 is 69 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by seeing specifications. The photograph below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and RX100.

To sum up, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-510 with its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony RX100 will provide extra detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.