Olympus E-520 vs Olympus VH-515

Following is a in depth review of the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus VH-515, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are offered by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the VH-515 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and VH-515 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was revealed 5 years before the VH-515 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-520 matches up against the VH-515 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Olympus VH-515. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus VH-515 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 has exterior measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Olympus VH-515 has measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") and a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-520 vs Olympus VH-515 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-520 versus the VH-515.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and VH-515 is 68 and 95 respectively.

Generally, its hard to see the contrast in sensor sizes purely by going through specifications. The picture here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and VH-515.

To sum up, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-520 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus VH-515 will produce greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.