Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-500

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500
      53
      Image cannot be found
      51
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus E-1 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.

      Olympus E-1 was introduced in November 2003 and Olympus E-500 was introduced in October 2005. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus E-1 Highlights

      • 5 MP Micro Four Thirds CCD Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • 1.8" 134k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      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 Olympus E-1
      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 Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-500.

      PROS

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

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

      CONS

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 5 Megapixel
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k 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 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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Weight - 735 g (1.62 lb / 25.93 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 Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-1
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-1 over Olympus E-500.

      Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-500
      Higher Native ISO 3,200 vs 400
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 95%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.48x vs 0.45x
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps vs 2.5 fps
      Environmental Sealing vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-1.

      Olympus E-5
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-30
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-3
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-520
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-300
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-450
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-600
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-330
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-620
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-400
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Sigma sd Quattro
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      29 MP

      Sony FX3
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      10.2 MP

      Advantage of Olympus E-500

      Olympus E-500
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-500 over Olympus E-1.

      Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-500
      Higher Sensor Resolution 5 Megapixel vs 8 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 2560 x 1920 vs 3264 x 2448
      Larger Screen 1.8" vs 2.5"
      Higher Resolution Screen 134k dot vs 215k dot
      Built-in Flash vs
      Lighter 735 g (1.62 lb / 25.93 oz) vs 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)
      Orientation Sensor vs

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

      Olympus E-400
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-420
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-520
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-300
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-510
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-450
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-600
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-620
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-410
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-330
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-30
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Nikon D3000
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.2 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.

      WEAKNESSES Olympus E-1 Olympus E-500
        No Video Capture
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        Low Resolution Sensor5 Megapixel8 Megapixel
        Low Native ISO3,200400
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points33
        No Face Detection
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Resolution Screen134k 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
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Olympus E-1 has a 1.8" screen with 134k dot resolution and Olympus E-500 has a 2.5" screen with 215k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. Olympus E-1 has 100% coverage with 0.96x (0.48x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Olympus E-500 has 95% coverage with 0.90x (0.45x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Olympus E-1 features a 5 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CCD sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200. 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

      Olympus E-1 can take pictures up to 2560 x 1920 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 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

      Cameras have Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) 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 Olympus E-1 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 Olympus E-1 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

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


      External Storage Slots

      Olympus E-1 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II) card slot. Olympus E-500 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

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


      Flash

      Olympus E-500 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash. Olympus E-1 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus E-1 body has dimensions of 141 x 104 x 81 mm (5.55 x 4.09 x 3.19") and Olympus E-500 body has dimensions of 130 x 95 x 66 mm (5.12 x 3.74 x 2.6"). Olympus E-1 weighs 735 g (1.62 lb / 25.93 oz) and Olympus E-500 weighs 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz).

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      141 mm

      104 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      130 mm

      95 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      104 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      95 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-500

      Olympus E-1 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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      50
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      48
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      54
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 735 g (1.62 lb / 25.93 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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      81
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 735 g (1.62 lb / 25.93 oz)
      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 Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-500 and give them scores of 53 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.


      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      OVERALL
      53
      OVERALL
      51

      Sensor

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      56
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 5 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      POOR
      54
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   400 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      POOR
      51
      •   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 - 1/180 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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

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

      Focusing

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 1.8"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 134k dot
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot

      Connectivity

      Olympus E-1

      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

      Olympus E-1

      Olympus E-500

      GOOD
      78
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 735 g (1.62 lb / 25.93 oz)
      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:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.