Olympus E-M1 III vs Sony WX500

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-M1 III and Sony WX500, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M1 III (20MP) and the WX500 (18MP) is pretty close but the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-M1 III was announced 4 years later than the WX500 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-M1 III grades against the WX500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Sony WX500 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 III comes with outside dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Sony WX500 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 III and Sony WX500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M1 III and the WX500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 III and WX500 is 67 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 III and WX500.

Clearly, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 III having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 III will render extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The younger E-M1 III is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.