Olympus E-510 vs Sony A37

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus E-510 and Sony A37, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and A37 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and A37 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was released 5 years prior to the A37 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-510 grades vs the A37 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 and Sony SLT-A37. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony A37 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera often, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 enjoys outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Sony A37 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-510 and Sony A37 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-510 vs the A37.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and A37 is 69 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions purely by seeing specifications. The picture below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and A37.

To sum up, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A37 will provide more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind in sensor technology.