Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A500

The following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony A500, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P1 was manufactured about the same time to the A500 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-P1 grades versus the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P1 provides outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony A500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P1 versus the A500.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and A500 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to see the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by looking at a spec sheet. The picture here should give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and A500.

As you can see, both the cameras have the same megapixels but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-P1 comes with the tinier sensor which will make achieving shallow DOF tougher.