Nikon S800c vs Olympus E-520

The following is a in depth comparison of the Nikon S800c vs Olympus E-520, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Nikon and Olympus. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the S800c (16MP) and E-520 (10MP) and the S800c (1/2.3") and E-520 (Four Thirds) posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The S800c was revealed 4 years after the E-520 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Nikon S800c being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the S800c scores against the E-520 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix S800c & Olympus E-520. The full galleries are available at Nikon S800c Gallery & Olympus E-520 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Nikon S800c enjoys outside dimensions of 111mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 184 grams (0.41 lbs) while the Olympus E-520 has specifications of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).

Check out the Nikon S800c vs Olympus E-520 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view size comparison of the S800c vs the E-520.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the S800c and E-520 is 93 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions merely by looking at a spec sheet. The image here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the S800c and E-520.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S800c with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Nikon S800c will give greater detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern S800c will have an edge in sensor tech.