| Manufacturer | Olympus |
| Name | E-500 |
| Image sensor | 4/3 type Full Frame Transfer CCD, 8.89MP |
| Max output resolution | 3264 x 2448 |
| Other resolutions | 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 |
| Zoom | By lens |
| Optical focal length (35mm) | By lens |
| Maximum lens aperture | By lens |
| Shutter speeds | 60 – 1/4000 sec + B |
| ISO rating | Auto/100/125/160/200/250/320/400/500/640/800/1000/1250/1600 |
| LCD screen | 2.5” Hyper Crystal TFT, approx. 215,250 pixels |
| Viewfinder | TTL prism veifinder |
| Flash range | 5m |
| Flash modes | Auto, red-eye reduction, slow syncro w/ red-eye reduction, slow syncro, 2nd curtain slow syncro, fill-in, off. |
| Exposure control | P,A,S,M, Auto, Portrait/Landscape/Macro/Sport/Night, 15 scene modes |
| Exposure metering | ESP multi-pattern, Spot, CW Average |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 5EV, 1/3 EV steps |
| White balance modes | Lamp 1, Fluorescent 1/2/3, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade. |
| Auto-Focus | 3-point AF, selectable |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Macro focus distance | By lens |
| Recording Modes | Single-shot, Continuous, Self timer |
| Image formats | JPEG, RAW, TIFF |
| Compression | SHQ, HQ, SQ |
| Picture Adjustments | Vivid, Neutral, Muted, Sepia, Black & White, all individually adjustable |
| Video (max res/format) | N/A |
| Movie Length | N/A |
| Self-timer | 10 secs, 2 secs |
| Memory card slot | CompactFlash I/II |
| Supplied Memory | None |
| Batteries supplied | 7.2V 1500mAh Li-ion battery |
| Recharger supplied | Yes |
| A/V output | PAL and NTSC |
| Ports | AV, USB 2.0 |
| Accessories | Neck strap, Software CD |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 129.5 x 94.5 x 66mm |
| Weight (Body Only) | 435 g (excluding batteries and media) |
| Software | Olympus Master, PDF advanced manual |
| Warranty | 24 Months |