Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FH2

The following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FH2, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and FH2 (14MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and FH2 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-520 was introduced 3 years before the FH2 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH2 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-520 scores versus the FH2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Panasonic FH2 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 provides outer 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) while the Panasonic FH2 has measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FH2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-520 compared to the FH2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and FH2 is 68 and 96 respectively.

Generally, its tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions just by checking specifications. The image here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and FH2.

To sum up, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-520 with its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FH2 will give you greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-520 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.