Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500
71 Imaging
47 Features
50 Overall
48


63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 500g - 130 x 94 x 60mm
- Announced July 2009
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Announced August 2009
- New Model is Sony A560

Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Overview
In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus E-620 versus Sony A500, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-620 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is very well matched but the E-620 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

The E-620 was released very close to the A500 so they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).
Before getting through a full comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-620 grades vs the A500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-620 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-620 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-620 over the Sony A500
E-620 | A500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus E-620
A500 | E-620 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Common features in the Olympus E-620 and Sony A500
E-620 | A500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | July 2009 | ![]() | August 2009 | Similar age |
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Identical display resolution |
Touch display | ![]() | Neither comes with Touch display |
Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-620 comes with physical dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.4") and a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-620 versus Sony A500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-620 against the A500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-620 and A500 is 71 and 63 respectively.

Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it can be difficult to envision the gap between sensor dimensions purely by checking technical specs. The picture here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-620 and A500.
As you have seen, the two cameras enjoy the same exact MP but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-620 contains the tinier sensor which is going to make obtaining shallower DOF more challenging.

Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-620 vs Sony A500 Specifications
Olympus E-620 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus E-620 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2009-07-06 | 2009-08-27 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic III+ | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4272 x 2848 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 7 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Total lenses | 45 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen size | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 230k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.48x | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames per second | 5.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 12.00 m | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Fill-in, Manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180s | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Highest video resolution | None | None |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 500 grams (1.10 lbs) | 630 grams (1.39 lbs) |
Dimensions | 130 x 94 x 60mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.4") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 55 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.3 | 21.8 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | 11.6 |
DXO Low light score | 536 | 772 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 500 pictures | 520 pictures |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-1 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch pricing | $799 | $638 |