Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL1

Below is a extensive overview of the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL1, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are built by Olympus. The resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the E-PL1 (12MP) is pretty close and they use the exact same sensor size (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was released 21 months prior to the E-PL1 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a in depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-520 matches up against the E-PL1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 & Olympus PEN E-PL1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus E-PL1 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 has outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL1 has dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-520 compared to the E-PL1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and E-PL1 is 68 and 86 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by viewing technical specs. The visual underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and E-PL1.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You can expect the Olympus E-PL1 to result in extra detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.