Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-PL9

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-520 versus Olympus E-PL9, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are created by Olympus. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and E-PL9 (16MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was released 10 years prior to the E-PL9 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-520 matches up versus the E-PL9 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Olympus PEN E-PL9. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus E-PL9 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 has got physical dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL9 has measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-520 versus Olympus E-PL9 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-520 and the E-PL9.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and E-PL9 is 68 and 85 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking specifications. The photograph underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and E-PL9.

To sum up, both of those cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You can count on the Olympus E-PL9 to give greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.