How many Megapixels does the Olympus E-1 have?

The Olympus E-1 is equipped with a a Four Thirds sensor that offers an image resolution of 4.9 megapixels (MP), or 4.9 million pixels. With its native aspect ratio of 4:3, the sensor has 2 560 horizontal pixels and 1 920 vertical pixels.

A high megapixel count makes it possible to crop any captured image substantially or to make very large prints from the image file. On the downside, large megapixel files are slower to transfer and take up more storage space on the computer harddisk. Also, high-resolution imaging requires sharper, more expensive lenses than low-res picture taking.

How large can I print with 4.9 MP?

The maximum print size of the Olympus E-1 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 12.8 x 9.6 inches or 32.5 x 24.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 10.2 x 7.7 inches or 26 x 19.5 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 8.5 x 6.4 inches or 21.7 x 16.3 cm. Few people actually print their images that large on a regular basis, but it is nice to have the option to make very large prints of exceptional shots. Also, as mentioned earlier, a key advantage of high-MP cameras is that it is possible to crop an image ex-post and thereby, for example, change the composition of the capture or zoom in on some detail.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Olympus E-1 to those of several similar cameras. In addition to sensor class and megapixel count, DXO values are reported as indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). Three aspects are covered: color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-1	Four Thirds	4.9	2560	1920	none	20.0	9.7	-145	44
2.		Canon 6D Mark II	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	1080/60p	24.4	11.9	2862	85
3.		Canon 7D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	854	66
4.		Leica Digilux 3	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
5.		Nikon D500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.0	14.0	1324	83
6.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
7.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
8.		Olympus E-5	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.6	10.5	519	56
9.		Olympus E-3	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.6	10.5	571	56
10.		Olympus E-330	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	73	52
11.		Olympus E-300	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.4	10.1	-40	48
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

In the United States, the E-1 was initially launched in June 2003 at a price of $1,699.

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Camera to camera comparisons

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