Olympus E-520 vs Olympus XZ-1

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-520 versus Olympus XZ-1, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both created by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the XZ-1 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and XZ-1 (1/1.63") enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-520 was announced 3 years before the XZ-1 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-520 scores against the XZ-1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Olympus XZ-1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-520 comes with outer dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-1 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

See the Olympus E-520 versus Olympus XZ-1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-520 vs the XZ-1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and XZ-1 is 68 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to envision the difference between sensor sizing merely by looking at specifications. The photograph below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and XZ-1.

Plainly, both of those cameras posses the exact same resolution albeit not the same sensor sizing. The E-520 contains the bigger sensor which will make achieving shallower DOF easier. The older E-520 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.