Olympus E-520 vs Sony W290

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-520 and Sony W290, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-520 (10MP) and the W290 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the E-520 (Four Thirds) and W290 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-520 was brought out 6 months before the W290 and they are both of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-520 scores against the W290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-520 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Sony W290 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-520 has got outer measurements 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 W290 has proportions of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-520 and Sony W290 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-520 vs the W290.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and W290 is 68 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The graphic below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-520 and W290.

As you have seen, both cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-520 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony W290 will give greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures much more aggressively.