Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LX5

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic LX5, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is pretty close but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") have totally different sensor size.

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The E-520 was brought out 4 years earlier than the LX5 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-520 grades versus the LX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-520 provides external measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX5 has sizing of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic LX5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-520 versus the LX5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and LX5 is 68 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to see the gap in sensor sizing just by researching a spec sheet. The photograph here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and LX5.

As you can see, each of the cameras feature the identical MP albeit not the same sensor sizing. The E-520 has the bigger sensor which is going to make obtaining bokeh easier. The older E-520 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.