Olympus E-520 vs Pentax P80

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-520 vs Pentax P80, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the P80 (12MP) is very close but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and P80 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

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The E-520 was launched 11 months before the P80 and they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-520 grades vs the P80 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-520 and Pentax Optio P80. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Pentax P80 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 features outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Pentax P80 has dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-520 vs Pentax P80 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-520 versus the P80.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and P80 is 68 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through specs. The graphic underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and P80.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-520 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Pentax P80 will provide you with greater detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind in sensor technology.