Nikon D3000 vs Olympus E-500

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500
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      51
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D3000 and the Olympus E-500, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Nikon D3000 was introduced in December 2009 and Olympus E-500 was introduced in October 2005. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D3000 Highlights

      • 10.2 MP APS-C CCD Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Olympus E-500 Highlights

      • 8 MP Micro Four Thirds CCD Sensor
      • 100 - 400 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • 2.5" 215k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 2.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Nikon D3000
      4. Advantage of Olympus E-500
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D3000 and Olympus E-500.

      PROS

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.2 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 62
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Advantage of Nikon D3000

      Nikon D3000
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D3000 over Olympus E-500.

      Nikon D3000 vs Olympus E-500
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 10.2 Megapixel vs 8 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 1,600 vs 400
      Higher Boosted ISO 3,200 vs 1,600
      Max Image Resolution 3872 x 2592 vs 3264 x 2448
      More Focus Points 11 vs 3
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 3.0" vs 2.5"
      Higher Resolution Screen 230k dot vs 215k dot
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.53x vs 0.45x
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps vs 2.5 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/200 sec vs 1/180 sec
      Multi-Segment Metering vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D3000.

      Nikon D40
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      APS-C

      6.1 MP

      Nikon D3200
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D3100
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      14 MP

      Nikon D3400
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D3500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D3300
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon Z6 II
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.5 MP

      Nikon D300S
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Sony a7S
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      Full Frame

      12.2 MP

      Nikon Z6
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.5 MP

      Sony a7R II
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Advantage of Olympus E-500

      Olympus E-500
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-500 over Nikon D3000.

      Nikon D3000 vs Olympus E-500
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      Lighter 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz) vs 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-500.

      Olympus E-400
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-420
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-520
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-300
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-510
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-450
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-600
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-620
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-410
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-330
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      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-30
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      5 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D3000 Olympus E-500
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D3000 Olympus E-500
        No Video Capture
        Low Resolution Sensor10.2 Megapixel8 Megapixel
        Low Native ISO1,600400
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points113
        No Face Detection
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Resolution Screen230k dot215k dot
        No Live View
        Low Max Continuous Shooting3.0 fps2.5 fps
        No HDMI Output
        No Built-in Microphone
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via Eye-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D3000 has a 3.0" screen with 230k dot resolution and Olympus E-500 has a 2.5" screen with 215k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Nikon D3000 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinderOlympus E-500 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. They both have 95% coverage.

      Sensor

      Nikon D3000 features a 10.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.8 mm and a total area of 372.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. Olympus E-500 features a 8 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CCD sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 400 and expands to 100 - 1,600 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Nikon D3000 is equipped with EXPEED processor and can take pictures up to 3872 x 2592 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2896 x 1944, 1936 x 1296 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Olympus E-500 can take pictures up to 3264 x 2448 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Nikon D3000 has Nikon F lens mount and Olympus E-500 has Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Nikon D3000 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus E-500 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon D3000 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Olympus E-500 nothing can be done. On Olympus E-500 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D3000 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.


      Battery

      Nikon D3000 comes with EN-EL9a battery pack with battery life of 500 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D3000 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Olympus E-500 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D3000 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D3000, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-500. Nikon D3000 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Olympus E-500 can shoot continuously up to 2.5 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D3000 and 13.00 m at ISO 100 on Olympus E-500. They also accept external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D3000 and 1/180 sec on Olympus E-500.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D3000 body has dimensions of 126 x 97 x 64 mm (4.96 x 3.82 x 2.52") and Olympus E-500 body has dimensions of 130 x 95 x 66 mm (5.12 x 3.74 x 2.6"). Nikon D3000 weighs 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz) and Olympus E-500 weighs 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz).

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      126 mm

      97 mm

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      130 mm

      95 mm

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      97 mm

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      95 mm

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      Size comparisons of Nikon D3000 and Olympus E-500

      Nikon D3000 and Olympus E-500 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      50
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      53
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      53
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      52
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      51
      •   400 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      71
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      77
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      GOOD
      81
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D3000 and Olympus E-500 and give them scores of 55 and 51 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      OVERALL
      55
      OVERALL
      51

      Sensor

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 62
      POOR
      54
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   400 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      53
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      POOR
      52
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 2.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      76
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot

      Connectivity

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      POOR
      44
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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