Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44


71 Imaging
39 Features
34 Overall
37
Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Launched August 2008
- Previous Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Expand to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-525mm (F3.1-5.8) lens
- 499g - 120 x 76 x 80mm
- Released July 2012
- Refreshed by Panasonic LZ30

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Overview
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.

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.

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Panasonic LZ20
E-520 | LZ20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus |
Reasons to pick Panasonic LZ20 over the Olympus E-520
LZ20 | E-520 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | July 2012 | ![]() | August 2008 | Fresher by 47 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic LZ20
E-520 | LZ20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Absent Touch display |
Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Physical Comparison
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.

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Sensor Comparison
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.

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic LZ20 Specifications
Olympus E-520 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 |
Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Launched | 2008-08-20 | 2012-07-18 |
Body design | Compact SLR | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 16MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4608 x 3456 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Max enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Number of focus points | 3 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 25-525mm (21.0x) |
Largest aperture | - | f/3.1-5.8 |
Macro focus distance | - | 2cm |
Number of lenses | 45 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 2.7" | 3" |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Screen technology | - | TFT Screen LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60s | 15s |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 4.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 6.80 m |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/180s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720p ( 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video data format | - | Motion JPEG |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 552 gr (1.22 lbs) | 499 gr (1.10 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 120 x 76 x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 55 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.4 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.4 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 548 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 650 images | 380 images |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Storage slots | One | One |
Launch price | $400 | $250 |