Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-520 versus Panasonic LZ20, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and LZ20 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and LZ20 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

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The E-520 was introduced 4 years prior to the LZ20 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-520 matches up vs the LZ20 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera often, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-520 enjoys outer dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LZ20 has sizing of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-520 versus Panasonic LZ20 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-520 and the LZ20.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and LZ20 is 68 and 71 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through specifications. The graphic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and LZ20.

Plainly, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-520 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic LZ20 will produce more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.