Olympus E-M1 vs Sony WX500

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony WX500, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the WX500 (18MP) is relatively similar but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-M1 was manufactured 17 months prior to the WX500 which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-M1 grades versus the WX500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony WX500 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 features external 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) while the Sony WX500 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") along with a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony WX500 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-M1 compared to the WX500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and WX500 is 71 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and WX500.

As you can see, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony WX500 will offer you greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged E-M1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.