Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44
81 Imaging
51 Features
70 Overall
58
Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Released August 2008
- Replaced the Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
- Introduced April 2012
- New Model is Olympus E-M5 II
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Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both are built by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and E-M5 (16MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor sizing (Four Thirds).
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-520 was manufactured 4 years before the E-M5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-520 scores against the E-M5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Olympus OM-D E-M5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus E-M5 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Olympus E-M5
| E-520 | E-M5 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Olympus E-520
| E-M5 | E-520 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | April 2012 | August 2008 | More recent by 44 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 610k | 230k | Crisper screen (+380k dot) | |
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-M5
| E-520 | E-M5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | More exact focusing | |||
| Selfie screen | Lacking selfie screen |
Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera often, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 enjoys outer measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Olympus E-M5 has measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-520 and the E-M5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and E-M5 is 68 and 81 respectively.
Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it is hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and E-M5.
As you can see, both the cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You can count on the Olympus E-M5 to resolve more detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.
Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-M5 Specifications
| Olympus E-520 | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus E-520 | Olympus OM-D E-M5 |
| Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Advanced Mirrorless |
| Released | 2008-08-20 | 2012-04-30 |
| Body design | Compact SLR | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | - | TruePic VI |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW support | ||
| Minimum enhanced ISO | - | 100 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 35 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Amount of lenses | 45 | 107 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen size | 2.7" | 3" |
| Screen resolution | 230k dot | 610k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Screen technology | - | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440k dot |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.58x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter speed | 4.0 frames/s | 9.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
| Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/180 secs | 1/250 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | - | H.264, Motion JPEG |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 552 grams (1.22 pounds) | 425 grams (0.94 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 55 | 71 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | 22.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 12.3 |
| DXO Low light rating | 548 | 826 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 650 photos | 360 photos |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | BLN-1 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Launch pricing | $400 | $799 |