Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-F3

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-520 and Sony NEX-F3, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and NEX-F3 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-520 was manufactured 5 years prior to the NEX-F3 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-520 matches up vs the NEX-F3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 and Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-520 enjoys outer dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-F3 has proportions of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-520 and Sony NEX-F3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-520 compared to the NEX-F3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and NEX-F3 is 68 and 86 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to envision the difference in sensor sizes simply by researching a spec sheet. The pic here should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-520 and NEX-F3.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-520 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-F3 will render extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-520 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.