Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic GF2

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic GF2, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the GF2 (12MP) is fairly well matched and both cameras boast the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-520 was introduced 3 years before the GF2 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic GF2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-520 grades versus the GF2 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Panasonic GF2 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-520 offers physical dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Panasonic GF2 has sizing of 113mm x 68mm x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic GF2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at the time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-520 against the GF2.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and GF2 is 68 and 88 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading through specs. The graphic here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and GF2.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You should anticipate the Panasonic GF2 to resolve greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.