Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44


95 Imaging
35 Features
31 Overall
33
Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Launched August 2008
- Earlier Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-120mm (F2.5-5.9) lens
- 142g - 100 x 55 x 21mm
- Launched January 2011
- Also referred to as Lumix DMC-FX77

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Overview
The following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the FX78 (12MP) is pretty close but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and FX78 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

The E-520 was launched 3 years earlier than the FX78 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera.
Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-520 scores vs the FX78 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Panasonic FX78 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Panasonic FX78
E-520 | FX78 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing |
Reasons to pick Panasonic FX78 over the Olympus E-520
FX78 | E-520 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2011 | ![]() | August 2008 | Newer by 29 months |
Screen size | 3.5" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.8") |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FX78
E-520 | FX78 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Identical screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 provides outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FX78 has dimensions of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the E-520 compared to the FX78.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and FX78 is 68 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor dimensions simply by viewing specs. The picture below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and FX78.
As you can plainly see, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-520 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FX78 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FX78 Specifications
Olympus E-520 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 |
Also Known as | - | Lumix DMC-FX77 |
Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
Launched | 2008-08-20 | 2011-01-25 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Venus Engine FHD |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 24-120mm (5.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/2.5-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
Amount of lenses | 45 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 2.7" | 3.5" |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | - | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | - |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/1400 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames per sec | 4.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 5.60 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 552 grams (1.22 lb) | 142 grams (0.31 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 100 x 55 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 55 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 548 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 650 photos | 200 photos |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Price at launch | $400 | $210 |