Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic F5

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic F5, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and F5 (14MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and F5 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-520 was unveiled 5 years prior to the F5 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic F5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-520 grades vs the F5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Panasonic F5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-520 provides exterior measurements 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 Panasonic F5 has proportions of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic F5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-520 and the F5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and F5 is 68 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to see the difference in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The graphic below will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and F5.

As you have seen, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-520 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic F5 will provide you with extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.