Compared to...

Studio scene comparison (vs. Nikon D50)

This is our standard studio scene comparison shot taken from exactly the same tripod position within minutes of each other. Lighting: daylight simulation, >98% CRI. Crops are 100%. Ambient temperature was approximately 22°C (~72°F). Camera settings:

• Olympus E-500: Olympus ED 50 mm F2.0 Macro, Aperture Priority (F6.3),
  ISO 100, JPEG SHQ, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Vivid), Self-Timer
   
• Nikon D50: Nikkor 50 mm F1.8, Aperture Priority (F9),
  ISO 200, JPEG Large/Fine, Manual WB, Default Parameters, Self-Timer

Olympus E-500	Nikon D50
ISO 100, 1/60 sec, F6.3	ISO 200, 1/40 sec, F9
5,474 KB JPEG (3264 x 2448)	2,575 KB JPEG (3008 x 2000)

The E-500's 448 pixel (22%) vertical resolution advantage becomes pretty obvious when compared to the six megapixel (3:2 aspect ratio) Nikon D50. If the E-500 had a similar film-like 3:2 ratio sensor instead the advantage would be more like 300 pixels (15%). Apart from the obvious difference in the amount of detail resolved there's also a significant difference in the way each camera rendered color, the D50 with brighter blues and more 'foliage like' greens.