Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44
84 Imaging
37 Features
60 Overall
46
Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Introduced August 2008
- Earlier Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
- 391g - 122 x 61 x 51mm
- Released July 2013
Photography Glossary Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1 Overview
Here is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-520 and Pentax MX-1, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is relatively close but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") offer totally different sensor size.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-520 was launched 5 years earlier than the MX-1 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.
Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-520 scores versus the MX-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Pentax MX-1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Pentax MX-1
| E-520 | MX-1 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Pentax MX-1 over the Olympus E-520
| MX-1 | E-520 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | July 2013 | August 2008 | Fresher by 59 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 920k | 230k | Sharper screen (+690k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Pentax MX-1
| E-520 | MX-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Very exact focusing | |||
| Selfie screen | No selfie screen | |||
| Touch screen | No Touch screen |
Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is going to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 comes with 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) and the Pentax MX-1 has measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-520 and Pentax MX-1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-520 vs the MX-1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and MX-1 is 68 and 84 respectively.
Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it is very hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing just by looking through specifications. The visual underneath should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and MX-1.
To sum up, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-520 due to its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Pentax MX-1 will result in extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The older E-520 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-520 vs Pentax MX-1 Specifications
| Olympus E-520 | Pentax MX-1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus E-520 | Pentax MX-1 |
| Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
| Introduced | 2008-08-20 | 2013-07-01 |
| Body design | Compact SLR | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/1.7" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 7.44 x 5.58mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 41.5mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 12MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/1.8-2.5 |
| Macro focusing range | - | 1cm |
| Total lenses | 45 | - |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 4.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display size | 2.7" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 230k dot | 920k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | - | TFT LCD with AR coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 4.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 12.00 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Speed sync, Trailing Curtain sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/180 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | - | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 552 grams (1.22 pounds) | 391 grams (0.86 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 122 x 61 x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 55 | 49 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | 20.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 11.3 |
| DXO Low light rating | 548 | 208 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 650 images | 290 images |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | D-Li-106 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Cost at release | $400 | $400 |