Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A500
95 Imaging
36 Features
34 Overall
35
63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
- 152g - 102 x 60 x 21mm
- Revealed August 2012
(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
- Revealed August 2009
- Renewed by Sony A560
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On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus VH-515 versus Sony A500, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the VH-515 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.
Photography GlossaryThe VH-515 was revealed 3 years after the A500 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the VH-515 grades versus the A500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VH-515 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VH-515 over the Sony A500
| VH-515 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | August 2012 |  | August 2009 | Newer by 37 months |
| Screen resolution | 460k |  | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) |
| Touch screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus VH-515
| A500 | VH-515 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | Very exact focus | ||
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Common features in the Olympus VH-515 and Sony A500
| VH-515 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 3" | Equal screen measurements |
| Selfie screen |  | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
If you are looking to travel with your camera, you should consider its weight and size. The Olympus VH-515 has exterior measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") and a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and 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).
Look at the Olympus VH-515 versus Sony A500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the VH-515 compared to the A500.
Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the VH-515 and A500 is 95 and 63 respectively.
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be difficult to envision the gap in sensor dimensions only by checking out specifications. The image below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the VH-515 and A500.
To sum up, both of these cameras provide the same MP albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The VH-515 comes with the smaller sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF harder. The fresher VH-515 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Olympus VH-515 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus VH-515 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Category | Small Sensor Compact | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Revealed | 2012-08-21 | 2009-08-27 |
| Physical type | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic III+ | Bionz |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 12800 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens focal range | 26-130mm (5.0x) | - |
| Maximal aperture | f/2.8-6.5 | - |
| Macro focus distance | 5cm | - |
| Available lenses | - | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 460k dots | 230k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Display tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting rate | 2.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 4.70 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash synchronize | - | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps) | - |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | - |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 152g (0.34 lb) | 630g (1.39 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 102 x 60 x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | not tested | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 520 photographs |
| Battery style | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | LI-50B | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Retail price | $648 | $638 |