Clicky

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X

Portability
68
Imaging
45
Features
45
Overall
45
Olympus E-520 front
 
Olympus OM-D E-M1X front
Portability
54
Imaging
61
Features
93
Overall
73

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Key Specs

Olympus E-520
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
  • Introduced August 2008
  • Replaced the Olympus E-510
Olympus E-M1X
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 997g - 144 x 147 x 75mm
  • Released January 2019
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M1 II
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Overview

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless and they are both designed by Olympus. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and E-M1X (20MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-520 was launched 11 years earlier than the E-M1X and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-M1X being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-520 scores versus the E-M1X with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Olympus E-M1X

 E-520 E-M1X 

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1X over the Olympus E-520

 E-M1X E-520 
ReleasedJanuary 2019August 2008More recent by 126 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1037k230kClearer screen (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-M1X

 E-520 E-M1X 
Manually focus Very accurate focusing

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 enjoys outer measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Olympus E-M1X has dimensions of 144mm x 147mm x 75mm (5.7" x 5.8" x 3.0") and a weight of 997 grams (2.20 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the E-520 compared to the E-M1X.

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and E-M1X is 68 and 54 respectively.

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements purely by looking through technical specs. The photograph below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and E-M1X.

As you have seen, each of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-M1X to result in greater detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X sensor size comparison

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-520 Portrait photography advice
Olympus E-M1X Portrait photography advice
59
has manual focus
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detection focus
supports RAW files
low megapixels (10MP)
76
you can focus manually
MP count good (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Olympus E-520 Street photography highlights
Olympus E-M1X Street photography highlights
65
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
screen is fixed
67
screen articulates fully
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
includes focus via touch
weather proof
above average high ISO (25,600)
heavier than competition (997g)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-520
Sports photography with Olympus E-M1X
55
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
better than average battery pack (650 shots)
has phase detect auto focus
max fps low (4.0 fps)
low megapixels (10MP)
80
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
high max fps (60.0 fps)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
weather proof
better than average battery power (870 per charge)
has phase detect AF
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-520 as a Travel photography camera
Olympus E-M1X as a Travel photography camera
52
better than average battery pack (650 CIPA)
built-in flash
does not have Time Lapse function
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
68
better than average battery power (870 shots)
weather proof
has bluetooth
includes focus via touch
MP count good (20MP)
selfie friendly screen
heavier than competition (997 grams)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-520 Landscape photography advice
Olympus E-M1X Landscape photography advice
58
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
better than average battery pack (650 CIPA)
small screen (2.7 inches)
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
does not have Time Lapse function
79
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
above average high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW formats
weather proof
better than average battery power (870 per charge)
two card slots
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-520 Vlogging details
Olympus E-M1X Vlogging details
9
can't shoot video
68
selfie friendly screen
has touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detect focusing
video res high (4096 x 2160 resolution)
has mic socket
heavier than competition (997g)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M1X Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-M1X
 Olympus E-520Olympus OM-D E-M1X
General Information
Brand Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus E-520 Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Type Entry-Level DSLR Pro Mirrorless
Introduced 2008-08-20 2019-01-24
Physical type Compact SLR SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Dual TruePic VIII
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 17.4 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 226.2mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Full resolution 3648 x 2736 5184 x 3888
Max native ISO 1600 25600
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW files
Lowest boosted ISO - 64
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 3 121
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Total lenses 45 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Display size 2.7" 3"
Resolution of display 230k dots 1,037k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,360k dots
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x 0.74x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Highest quiet shutter speed - 1/32000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 4.0fps 60.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 12.00 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), manual
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/180 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Max video resolution None 4096x2160
Video file format - MPEG-4, H.264
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Yes (USB-PD allows charging by laptop or external power bank)
GPS None Built-in
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 552g (1.22 lbs) 997g (2.20 lbs)
Physical dimensions 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") 144 x 147 x 75mm (5.7" x 5.8" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 55 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 21.4 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 548 not tested
Other
Battery life 650 shots 870 shots
Type of battery Battery Pack Built-in
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card -
Card slots Single 2
Pricing at launch $400 $2,999