Olympus E-520 vs Sony A7R II

Here is a detailed review of the Olympus E-520 and Sony A7R II, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and A7R II (42MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and A7R II (Full frame) enjoy different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-520 was unveiled 7 years earlier than the A7R II and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony A7R II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-520 scores vs the A7R II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-520 & Sony Alpha A7R II. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Sony A7R II Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-520 features exterior dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Sony A7R II has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") along with a weight of 625 grams (1.38 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-520 and Sony A7R II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-520 against the A7R II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and A7R II is 68 and 68 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at a spec sheet. The visual underneath should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-520 and A7R II.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-520 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A7R II will give greater detail having an extra 32MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos much more aggressively. The older E-520 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.