Olympus E-M10 IV vs Sony A500

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A500, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M10 IV (20MP) and A500 (12MP) and the E-M10 IV (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M10 IV was released 11 years after the A500 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 IV being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-M10 IV scores versus the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M10 IV Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M10 IV enjoys outer dimensions of 122mm x 84mm x 49mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 1.9") and a weight of 383 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M10 IV and Sony A500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M10 IV against the A500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M10 IV and A500 is 81 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The picture below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M10 IV and A500.

As you can see, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M10 IV due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Olympus E-M10 IV will result in extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The newer E-M10 IV is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.