Clicky

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580

Portability
71
Imaging
53
Features
85
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M1 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 front
Portability
64
Imaging
56
Features
82
Overall
66

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
  • Released October 2013
  • Replacement is Olympus E-M1 II
Sony A580
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 599g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Revealed May 2011
  • Superseded the Sony A100
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Overview

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A580, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the A580 (16MP) is fairly comparable but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A580 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The E-M1 was unveiled 2 years after the A580 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-M1 matches up against the A580 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Sony A580

 E-M1 A580 
RevealedOctober 2013May 2011More modern by 30 months
Display resolution1037k922kSharper display (+115k dot)
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony A580 over the Olympus E-M1

 A580 E-M1 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A580

 E-M1 A580 
Focus manually Very accurate focus
Display typeTiltingTiltingTilting display
Display size3"3"Same display dimensions
Selfie screen Neither offers selfie screen

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 offers outside dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) whilst the Sony A580 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony A580 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 against the A580.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and A580 is 71 and 64 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes just by seeing a spec sheet. The pic below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and A580.

As you can see, both of those cameras feature the identical MP but not the same sensor sizes. The E-M1 contains the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallower depth of field more difficult. The more modern E-M1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Portrait photography highlights
Sony A580 Portrait photography highlights
71
focusing manually
high flash sync (1/320 seconds)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
features face detect autofocus
delivers RAW formats
73
you can focus manually
decent MP (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
has face detection focus
saves RAW files
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Street photography information
Sony A580 Street photography information
78
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
supports focus by touch
environment sealing
lighter than competitors in class (497g)
good high ISO (25,600)
75
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Sports photography information
Sony A580 Sports photography information
70
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
features tracking focus
environment sealing
supports phase detect autofocus
bad battery life (350 per charge)
78
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
great battery (1,050 per charge)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Travel photography info
Sony A580 Travel photography info
65
lighter than competitors in class (497 grams)
environment sealing
supports focus by touch
MP count good (16 megapixels)
bad battery life (350 CIPA)
display is not selfie friendly
60
great battery (1,050 shots)
decent MP (16MP)
has built in flash
missing Timelapse function
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A580 as a Landscape photography camera
73
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
environment sealing
bad battery life (350 per charge)
73
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
great battery (1,050 CIPA)
2 card slots
missing Timelapse function
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A580 as a Vlogging camera
36
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
comes with microphone jack
lighter than competitors in class (497 grams)
display is not selfie friendly
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection focus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes external microphone support
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A580 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 and Sony A580
 Olympus OM-D E-M1Sony Alpha DSLR-A580
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Sony Alpha DSLR-A580
Category Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2013-10-28 2011-05-26
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip TruePIC VII Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 25600 12800
Highest boosted ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 81 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Sony/Minolta Alpha
Amount of lenses 107 143
Crop factor 2.1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dots 922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.53x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames/s 7.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 12.00 m
Flash settings Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/320 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 497 grams (1.10 lbs) 599 grams (1.32 lbs)
Physical dimensions 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 73 80
DXO Color Depth score 23.0 23.8
DXO Dynamic range score 12.7 13.3
DXO Low light score 757 1121
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 1050 photographs
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLN-1 NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One Two
Price at launch $799 $848