Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and NEX-6 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and NEX-6 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-520 was unveiled 5 years prior to the NEX-6 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-520 grades against the NEX-6 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 and Sony Alpha NEX-6. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Sony NEX-6 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-520 features external 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 Sony NEX-6 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 345 grams (0.76 lbs).

See the Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-520 and the NEX-6.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and NEX-6 is 68 and 85 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes only by checking out technical specs. The image below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-520 and NEX-6.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-520 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-6 will provide greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.