Nikon D5200 vs Olympus E-420

Following is a complete assessment of the Nikon D5200 and Olympus E-420, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by competitors Nikon and Olympus. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the D5200 (24MP) and E-420 (10MP) and the D5200 (APS-C) and E-420 (Four Thirds) use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The D5200 was introduced 4 years after the E-420 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the D5200 grades vs the E-420 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D5200 & Olympus E-420. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon D5200 Gallery & Olympus E-420 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Nikon D5200 has external measurements of 129mm x 98mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 3.1") and a weight of 555 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-420 has measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon D5200 and Olympus E-420 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the D5200 and the E-420.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the D5200 and E-420 is 66 and 77 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizes purely by seeing a spec sheet. The picture here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the D5200 and E-420.

As you can see, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The D5200 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Nikon D5200 will show more detail using its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The newer D5200 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.