Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FH10

In this article, we will be matching up the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FH10, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and FH10 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and FH10 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was unveiled 5 years prior to the FH10 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH10 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a short view of how the E-520 scores versus the FH10 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH10. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Panasonic FH10 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera often, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-520 enjoys outer measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH10 has specifications of 94mm x 54mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FH10 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-520 and the FH10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and FH10 is 68 and 97 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by going through a spec sheet. The visual here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and FH10.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-520 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FH10 will provide extra detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-520 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.