Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FZ40

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-520 versus Panasonic FZ40, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and FZ40 (14MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and FZ40 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-520 was revealed 23 months before the FZ40 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-520 matches up against the FZ40 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 enjoys external measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ40 has measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") with a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-520 versus Panasonic FZ40 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-520 compared to the FZ40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and FZ40 is 68 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The picture below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and FZ40.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-520 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FZ40 will offer more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-520 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.