Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic SZ8

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-520 versus Panasonic SZ8, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and SZ8 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-520 was launched 6 years before the SZ8 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-520 scores versus the SZ8 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-520 comes with outer measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ8 has sizing of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-520 versus Panasonic SZ8 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-520 compared to the SZ8.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and SZ8 is 68 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and SZ8.

As you can see, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-520 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic SZ8 will offer greater detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.