Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-5N

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-5N, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5N (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

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The E-520 was launched 4 years prior to the NEX-5N which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-520 grades vs the NEX-5N for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-520 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-520 has got 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) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-5N in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-520 vs the NEX-5N.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and NEX-5N is 68 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes simply by seeing specs. The picture here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and NEX-5N.

All in all, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-520 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5N will produce greater detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.