Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic FZ70

The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FZ70, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and FZ70 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and FZ70 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was manufactured 5 years prior to the FZ70 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ70 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-520 scores vs the FZ70 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Panasonic FZ70 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-520 provides physical measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ70 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 118mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 4.6") with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic FZ70 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-520 vs the FZ70.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and FZ70 is 68 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor dimensions just by researching specs. The pic underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-520 and FZ70.

All in all, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-520 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic FZ70 will render extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.