Olympus E-510 vs Sony A58

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-510 versus Sony A58, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and A58 (20MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and A58 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was released 7 years prior to the A58 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-510 scores versus the A58 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 & Sony SLT-A58. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Sony A58 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 provides physical measurements 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 A58 has specifications of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") and a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 versus Sony A58 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-510 compared to the A58.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and A58 is 69 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes purely by reading through a spec sheet. The pic here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and A58.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-510 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A58 will give you greater detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The more aged E-510 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.