Olympus E-500

    51
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    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
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    Overview

    Olympus E-500 was announced in 2005 and is a Micro Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) DSLR camera with 8 Megapixel CCD sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 400 and expands to 100 - 1,600 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fixed 2.5" screen with 215k dot resolution and built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Successor
    4. Screen and Viewfinder
    5. Sensor
    6. Photography Features
    7. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
    8. Other Features
    9. Physical Parameters
    10. For Different Types of Photography
    11. Evaluation
    12. Specifications  

    Here is the Olympus E-xxx series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

    Olympus E-xxx series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-600
    Compare
    		August
    2009    		 12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 3,200 Articulated 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-620
    Compare
    		July
    2009    		 12.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 3,200 Articulated 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-450
    Compare
    		March
    2009    		 10.0 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Fixed 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-520
    Compare
    		August
    2008    		 10.0 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Fixed 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-420
    Compare
    		June
    2008    		 10.0 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Fixed 2.7"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-510
    Compare
    		November
    2007    		 10.0 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Fixed 2.5"
    230k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-410
    Compare
    		June
    2007    		 10.0 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Fixed 2.5"
    215k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-400
    Compare
    		September
    2006    		 10.0 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 1,600 Fixed 2.5"
    215k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-330
    Compare
    		March
    2006    		 7.94 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 400 Tilting 2.5"
    215k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-500 October
    2005    		 8 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 400 Fixed 2.5"
    215k dot
    Image cannot be found Olympus E-300
    Compare
    		January
    2005    		 8 MP
    Micro Four Thirds    		 100 - 400 Fixed 1.8"
    134k dot

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Olympus E-600 vs E-620 vs E-450 vs E-520 vs E-420 vs E-510.

    Pros and Cons

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

    PROS

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

    CONS

    •   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

    •   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

    Successor

    In 2007 Olympus E-500 was replaced by Olympus E-510. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Olympus E-500 and its successor.

    UPGRADES Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-500
    Higher Sensor Resolution 10.0 Megapixel vs 8 Megapixel
    Higher Native ISO 1,600 vs 400
    Max Image Resolution 3648 x 2736 vs 3264 x 2448
    Image Stabilization Sensor Shift vs
    Higher Resolution Screen 230k dot vs 215k dot
    Live View vs
    Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.46x vs 0.45x
    Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps vs 2.5 fps
    DOWNGRADES Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-500
    Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) vs Optical (pentaprism)
    Heavier 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz) vs 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz)

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Olympus E-500 vs E-510.

    Screen and Viewfinder

    Fixed screen

    Olympus E-500 has a 2.5" Fixed screen with 215k dot resolution which is quite low by today's standards.


    Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder

    Camera has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.90x (0.45x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

    Sensor

    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 224.9 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 Olympus E-500's Micro Four Thirds sensor compares with other types of sensors:

    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 Thirds17.3 x 13 mm224.9 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

    Camera can take pictures up to 3264 x 2448 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions 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

    Olympus E-500 has Four Thirds lens mount. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


    No In-Body Image Stabilization

    The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.

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

    Olympus E-400
    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-420
    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-510
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    10.0 MP

    Olympus E-600
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12 MP

    Olympus E-410
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    10.0 MP

    Olympus E-620
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    12.3 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

    Olympus E-1
    Image cannot be found

    Micro Four Thirds

    5 MP

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    USB Input

    Olympus E-500 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Olympus E-500's shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec. Camera 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. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec.

    Physical Parameters

    Olympus E-500 has dimensions of 130 x 95 x 66 mm (5.12 x 3.74 x 2.6"). It weighs 479 g (1.06 lb / 16.90 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

    130 mm (5.12")

    95 mm (3.74")

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    95 mm (3.74")

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    Olympus E-500 dimensions

    Olympus E-500 for Different Types of Photography

    We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Olympus E-500 is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    POOR
    50

    Olympus E-500 gets a score of 50 and is POOR choice for Landscape photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
    •   No Live View
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing

    Sports Photography

    POOR
    53

    Olympus E-500 gets a score of 53 and is POOR choice for Sports photography.

    •   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

    POOR
    51

    Olympus E-500 gets a score of 51 and is POOR choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   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

    AVERAGE
    64

    Olympus E-500 gets a score of 64 and is AVERAGE choice for Portrait photography.

    •   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

    GOOD
    76

    Olympus E-500 gets a score of 76 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.

    •   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

    GOOD
    81

    Olympus E-500 gets a score of 81 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.

    •   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)

    Olympus E-500 Evaluation

    We evaluate Olympus E-500 and give score of 51 out of 100. 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.


    OVERALL
    51

    Sensor

    POOR
    54

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 54 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Low Resolution Sensor - 8 Megapixel
    •   100 Lowest Native ISO
    •   400 Highest Native ISO

    Photo

    POOR
    52

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 52 for Photo parameters.

    •   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

    BAD
    0

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 0 for Video parameters.

    •   No Image Stabilization

    Focusing

    AVERAGE
    69

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 69 for Focusing parameters.

    •   3 Focus Points
    •   No Face Detection

    Screen and Viewfinder

    AVERAGE
    67

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 67 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fixed Screen
    •   Screen Size - 2.5"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot

    Connectivity

    POOR
    40

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 40 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   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

    POOR
    44

    We give Olympus E-500 a score of 44 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   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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