Olympus E-520 vs Pentax RZ18

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-520 versus Pentax RZ18, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and RZ18 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

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The E-520 was brought out 4 years before the RZ18 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-520 matches up vs the RZ18 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 & Pentax Optio RZ18. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-520 features outside dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Pentax RZ18 has specifications of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-520 versus Pentax RZ18 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-520 vs the RZ18.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and RZ18 is 68 and 92 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes simply by reviewing specs. The picture underneath will give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-520 and RZ18.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-520 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax RZ18 will offer you greater detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-520 is going to be behind in sensor tech.