Olympus E-520 vs Olympus TG-810

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus TG-810, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Waterproof and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and TG-810 (14MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and TG-810 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was announced 4 years prior to the TG-810 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus TG-810 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-520 scores against the TG-810 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 and Olympus TG-810. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Olympus TG-810 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 features physical measurements 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 TG-810 has dimensions of 100mm x 65mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.6" x 1.0") and a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus TG-810 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-520 compared to the TG-810.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and TG-810 is 68 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The photograph below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and TG-810.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-520 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus TG-810 will provide you with more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.