Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44
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85 Imaging
57 Features
76 Overall
64
Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Released August 2008
- Replaced the Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 345g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
- Revealed March 2013
- Replacement is Sony A6000
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Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Overview
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.
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Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Sony NEX-6
E-520 | NEX-6 |
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Reasons to pick Sony NEX-6 over the Olympus E-520
NEX-6 | E-520 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | March 2013 | ![]() | August 2008 | More modern by 55 months |
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+691k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Sony NEX-6
E-520 | NEX-6 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | No Touch screen |
Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Physical Comparison
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.
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Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-520 and NEX-6 is 68 and 85 respectively.
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Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Sensor Comparison
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.
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Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-6 Specifications
Olympus E-520 | Sony Alpha NEX-6 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus E-520 | Sony Alpha NEX-6 |
Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Advanced Mirrorless |
Released | 2008-08-20 | 2013-03-25 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4912 x 3264 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Number of focus points | 3 | 99 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Amount of lenses | 45 | 121 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen size | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dot | 921 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen technology | - | Xtra Fine LCD with Tilt Up 90� and Down 45� |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 6.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 552g (1.22 pounds) | 345g (0.76 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 55 | 78 |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.4 | 23.7 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.4 | 13.1 |
DXO Low light score | 548 | 1018 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 650 images | 360 images |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse recording | With downloadable app | |
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at launch | $400 | $365 |