Olympus E-520 vs Pentax VS20

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-520 and Pentax VS20, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") possess different sensor dimensions.

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The E-520 was announced 4 years before the VS20 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-520 matches up versus the VS20 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 and Pentax Optio VS20. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Pentax VS20 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 enjoys exterior measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Pentax VS20 has dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") having a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-520 and Pentax VS20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-520 compared to the VS20.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and VS20 is 68 and 90 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizing merely by going over specs. The photograph here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and VS20.

All in all, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-520 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Pentax VS20 will offer you greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.