Olympus E-500 vs E-600

The Olympus Evolt E-500 and the Olympus E-600 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in September 2005 and August 2009. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-500 has a resolution of 8 megapixels, whereas the E-600 provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-500		Olympus E-600
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses		Four Thirds lenses
8 MP, Four Thirds Sensor		12.2 MP, Four Thirds Sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-400 (100-1600)		ISO 100-3200
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD, 215k dots		2.7" LCD, 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
2.5 shutter flaps per second		4 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
750 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
130 x 95 x 66 mm, 479 g		130 x 94 x 60 mm, 535 g

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus Evolt E-500 and the Olympus E-600? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-500 and the Olympus E-600. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-600 is somewhat smaller (1 percent) than the Olympus E-500. However, the E-600 is markedly heavier (12 percent) than the E-500. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-500 nor the E-600 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the E-500 gets 750 shots out of its BLM-1 battery, while the E-600 can take 500 images on a single charge of its BLS-1 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-500»	130 mm	95 mm	66 mm	479 g	750	n	Sep 2005	599	-		Olympus E-500
	Olympus E-600«	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	535 g	500	n	Aug 2009	449	-		Olympus E-600
	Olympus E-450« »	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2009	499	-		Olympus E-450
	Olympus E-620« »	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	521 g	500	n	Feb 2009	699	-		Olympus E-620
	Olympus E-420« »	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2008	599	-		Olympus E-420
	Olympus E-520« »	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	535 g	750	n	May 2008	699	-		Olympus E-520
	Olympus E-410« »	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Mar 2007	699	-		Olympus E-410
	Olympus E-510« »	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	538 g	750	n	Mar 2007	799	-		Olympus E-510
	Olympus E-330« »	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	999	-		Olympus E-330
	Olympus E-400« »	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Sep 2006	699	-		Olympus E-400
	Olympus E-300« »	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	799	-		Olympus E-300
	Panasonic L10« »	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	599	-		Panasonic L10
	Panasonic L1« »	146 mm	87 mm	64 mm	606 g	750	n	Feb 2006	999	-		Panasonic L1
Convert to Imperial
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The E-600 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 25 percent) than the E-500, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-600 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic III+) than the E-500 (TruePic), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-600 offers a higher resolution of 12.2 megapixels, compared with 8 MP of the E-500. This megapixels advantage translates into a 24 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-600 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 5.30μm for the E-500). However, it should be noted that the E-600 is much more recent (by 3 years and 11 months) than the E-500, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-600 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-600 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 20.2 x 15.1 inch or 51.2 x 38.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 16.1 x 12.1 inch or 41 x 30.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 13.4 x 10.1 inch or 34.1 x 25.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-500 are 16.3 x 12.2 inch or 41.5 x 31.1 cm for good quality, 13.1 x 9.8 inch or 33.2 x 24.9 cm for very good quality, and 10.9 x 8.2 inch or 27.6 x 20.7 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus Evolt E-500 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 400, which can be extended to ISO 100-1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-600 are ISO 100 to ISO 3200 (no boost).

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-500 and the E-600 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the E-600 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-500 (0.48x vs 0.45x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-500 and Olympus E-600 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

One feature that differentiates the E-600 and the E-500 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The E-600 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the E-500 has to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-500 and the E-600 write their files to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus Evolt E-500 and Olympus E-600 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Both the E-500 and the E-600 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The E-500 was replaced by the Olympus E-510, while the E-600 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Olympus website.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-500 or the Olympus E-600 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Olympus Evolt E-500:

• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 56g or 10 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 500) on a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2005).

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-600:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 8MP), which boosts linear resolution by 24%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic III+ vs TruePic).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.48x vs 0.45x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.7" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (4 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (25 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 11 months of technical progress since the E-500 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-600 is the clear winner of the contest (10 : 3 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-500 and the Olympus E-600 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-500 and the E-600 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-500»	76/100	+ +	-	-	-	Sep 2005	599	-		Olympus E-500
	Olympus E-600«	-	-	-	-	4.5/5	Aug 2009	449	-		Olympus E-600
	Olympus E-450« »	-	-	4/5	-	4/5	Mar 2009	499	-		Olympus E-450
	Olympus E-620« »	88/100	72/100	4.5/5	o	5/5	Feb 2009	699	-		Olympus E-620
	Olympus E-420« »	85/100	+ +	4/5	o	4.5/5	Mar 2008	599	-		Olympus E-420
	Olympus E-520« »	87/100	+ +	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	May 2008	699	-		Olympus E-520
	Olympus E-410« »	86/100	+ +	4/5	o	4.5/5	Mar 2007	699	-		Olympus E-410
	Olympus E-510« »	89/100	+ +	3.5/5	o	4.5/5	Mar 2007	799	-		Olympus E-510
	Olympus E-330« »	-	+	o	3.5/5	-	Jan 2006	999	-		Olympus E-330
	Olympus E-400« »	85/100	-	4/5	-	4/5	Sep 2006	699	-		Olympus E-400
	Olympus E-300« »	-	+	o	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	799	-		Olympus E-300
	Panasonic L10« »	85/100	+	3.5/5	o	4/5	Aug 2007	599	-		Panasonic L10
	Panasonic L1« »	85/100	+	-	o	3.5/5	Feb 2006	999	-		Panasonic L1
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

Specifications: Olympus E-500 vs Olympus E-600

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

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