Nikon D5100 vs Olympus E-520

Let's look more closely at the Nikon D5100 vs Olympus E-520, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by brands Nikon and Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the D5100 (16MP) and E-520 (10MP) and the D5100 (APS-C) and E-520 (Four Thirds) offer different sensor measurements.

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The D5100 was brought out 2 years later than the E-520 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact SLR).

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a short overview of how the D5100 matches up against the E-520 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon D5100 & Olympus E-520. The entire galleries are provided at Nikon D5100 Gallery & Olympus E-520 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Nikon D5100 comes with outer dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 79mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.1") having a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs) and the Olympus E-520 has measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs).

Compare the Nikon D5100 vs Olympus E-520 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the D5100 versus the E-520.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the D5100 and E-520 is 66 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements merely by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the D5100 and E-520.

As you can see, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The D5100 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Nikon D5100 will result in more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images way more aggressively. The more recent D5100 provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.