Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-P5

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-P5, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and E-P5 (16MP) but they feature the same exact sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-520 was launched 6 years earlier than the E-P5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-520 grades versus the E-P5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 & Olympus PEN E-P5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus E-P5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-520 provides outer measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-P5 has specifications of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-P5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-520 compared to the E-P5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and E-P5 is 68 and 85 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The visual underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and E-P5.

As you can see, each of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Olympus E-P5 to give greater detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.