Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500
85 Imaging
52 Features
76 Overall
61
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63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(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
- 420g - 122 x 69 x 37mm
- Announced October 2013
- Earlier Model is Olympus E-P3
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Launched August 2009
- Replacement is Sony A560
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Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Overview
Below is a extended review of the Olympus E-P5 and Sony A500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-P5 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.
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The E-P5 was manufactured 4 years later than the A500 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-P5 matches up vs the A500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P5 over the Sony A500
E-P5 | A500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | October 2013 | ![]() | August 2009 | More recent by 50 months |
Screen resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper screen (+807k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus E-P5
A500 | E-P5 |
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Common features in the Olympus E-P5 and Sony A500
E-P5 | A500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More exact focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurement |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen |
Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-P5 enjoys outside dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) while the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-P5 and Sony A500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-P5 and the A500.
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Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P5 and A500 is 85 and 63 respectively.
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Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The photograph below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and A500.
As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P5 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will give extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The younger E-P5 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.
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Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-P5 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-P5 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2013-10-03 | 2009-08-27 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4272 x 2848 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 1,037k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen tech | 3:2 LCD capacitive touchscreen | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 9.0fps | 5.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.00 m (ISO 100) | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (1st or 2nd curtain), Manual (1/1 - 1/64) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/320 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p) | - |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video file format | H.264 | - |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 420g (0.93 lbs) | 630g (1.39 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 69 x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 72 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | 21.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.4 | 11.6 |
DXO Low light rating | 895 | 772 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 photos | 520 photos |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Cost at launch | $389 | $638 |