Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL2

Following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL2, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the E-PL2 (12MP) is pretty close and both cameras posses the identical sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-520 was announced 3 years prior to the E-PL2 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera 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-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-520 matches up versus the E-PL2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 & Olympus PEN E-PL2. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus E-PL2 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-520 features outer dimensions 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-PL2 has proportions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-520 compared to the E-PL2.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and E-PL2 is 68 and 85 respectively.

Often, its hard to see the difference in sensor sizes just by researching technical specs. The picture below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and E-PL2.

As you have seen, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same megapixels. You can expect the Olympus E-PL2 to result in greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be behind in sensor technology.