Olympus E-520 vs Ricoh WG-30W

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-520 and Ricoh WG-30W, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and WG-30W (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and WG-30W (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-520 was manufactured 7 years prior to the WG-30W which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Ricoh WG-30W being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a short view of how the E-520 matches up against the WG-30W in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Ricoh WG-30W. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Ricoh WG-30W Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-520 has exterior 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) whilst the Ricoh WG-30W has specifications of 123mm x 62mm x 30mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 194 grams (0.43 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-520 and Ricoh WG-30W in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the E-520 vs the WG-30W.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and WG-30W is 68 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions merely by seeing specs. The picture below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-520 and WG-30W.

All in all, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-520 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Ricoh WG-30W will provide more detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.