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Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1 Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Olympus E-PM1

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-PM1
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Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Olympus E-PM1, which was introduced in November 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. There is only 9 months difference between P500 and E-PM1 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Olympus E-PM1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-11-23
  • 12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 265g. 110 x 64 x 34 mm

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Olympus PEN E-PM1

Olympus E-PM1 was replaced by Olympus PEN E-PM2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus PEN E-PM2 vs Olympus PEN E-PM1
Olympus PEN E-PM2 vs Nikon Coolpix P500

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Olympus PEN E-PM1
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Internal Storage
102 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Viewfinder
Electronic vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
LCD Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
CHECK P500 PRICE


Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PM1 over Nikon Coolpix P500
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
35 vs 9 26 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
6.0fps vs 1.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
330 shots vs 220 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Weight
265 g vs 494 g 229 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
18.45µm2 vs 2.34µm2 688% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
CHECK E-PM1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Olympus PEN E-PM1
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Olympus PEN E-PM1
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-PM1 has external dimensions of 110 x 64 x 34 mm (4.33 x 2.52 x 1.34″) and weighs 265 g (0.58 lb / 9.35 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1. Olympus E-PM1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 6mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 69mm thinner than Nikon P500. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon P500 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PM1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PM1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1.

Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1.
Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-PM1 is significantly lighter (229g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-PM1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Olympus PEN E-PM1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Nikon P500 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Olympus E-PM1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Nikon P500's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Olympus E-PM1's sensor is Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ).

Since Olympus E-PM1's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Nikon P500.

Below you can see the P500 and E-PM1 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-PM1 has a 8.0x Larger sensor area than Nikon P500. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PM1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-PM1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PM1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
35 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PM1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
265g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PM1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Olympus E-PM1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon P500 and Olympus E-PM1 scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #51 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #599 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Olympus E-PM1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #91 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #408 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PM1 scores higher than the Nikon P500 thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Nikon P500 has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Nikon P500 is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Olympus E-PM1.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Olympus E-PM1
Olympus E-PM1
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Olympus PEN E-PM1
Brand Nikon Olympus
Announced 2011-02-09 2011-11-23
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch Four Thirds
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 28.07mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4032 x 3024
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 35
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens Focal Range 23-810 mm (36×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 265g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 110 x 64 x 34mm
Battery Life 220 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 52
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 10.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 499
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