Olympus E-520
- 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
- Introduced August 2008
- Superseded the Olympus E-510
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Lenses
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44
Olympus E-520 overview
Olympus E-520 is Olympus's Entry-Level DSLR digital camera initially announced on August of 2008. The camera comes with a 10MP, CMOS Four Thirds size sensor with a peak resolution of 3648 x 2736.
Olympus released this model to upgrade the earlier Olympus E-510 (Read Full Comparison)
The E-520 is positioned #64 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras and all round #563 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can check our Smart camera search to see camera rankings based on your personalized requirements.
The following is a chart of various criteria used in the scoring system.
Olympus E-520 history
The Olympus E-520 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the full list below.
Olympus E-520 Gallery
You can view the E-520 from several angles in the gallery below.
Olympus E-520 Pros and Cons
Here is a collection of benefits and drawbacks of the Olympus E-520 based on aspects that are normally seen as important in a digital camera.
Olympus E-520 Sensor features
The sensor dimension on the Olympus E-520 is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor can resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter can easily lead to cropping.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe CMOS sensor boasts 10 megapixels and gives a standard ISO range of 100 to 1600. RAW format is supported therefore you have more room to maneuver in post.
The graphic below illustrates the E-520's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The E-520 sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.1 and is presented in green.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesTo get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.
Olympus E-520 dimensions
Olympus E-520 has a weight of 1.22 lb (552 gr or 19.47 ounces) and the overall size of the camera is 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7"). The weight of general Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540 gr and the Olympus E-520 is very similar when compared with other rivals.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe following is a pic of the Olympus E-520 beside a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its size.
The top view below will show the button arrangement on the E-520.
Olympus E-520 Lens features
The E-520 works with the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses that are available. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the E-520.
Olympus E-520 Connectivity
The E-520 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
Cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth support can be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can copy files and sometimes alter settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.
Several apps also allow a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external display. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.
Olympus E-520 Video features
Olympus E-520 doesn't capture video. If you are shopping for a digital camera to shoot just images, it might not be a concern.
Olympus E-520 Weather Sealing
Olympus E-520 doesn't have weather proofing so rainy conditions can easily affect the camera.
Olympus E-520 Screen and Viewfinder
The Olympus E-520 comes with a 2.7" fixed display with a resolution of 230k dots.
Sadly the display isn't a touch screen.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe ViewFinder specifications regarding Olympus E-520 are below:
- ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
- ViewFinder Coverage 95 percent
- ViewFinder Magnification 0.46x
In those bright outdoor conditions that make the camera screens washed out and tough to view, viewfinders can be pretty valuable.
Olympus E-520 Shutter features
Olympus E-520 can shoot continuously at 4.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.
Olympus E-520 Flash and Hot shoe features
Olympus E-520 includes both inbuilt flash and external flash ability. The max flash sync speed is 1/180 seconds.
Olympus E-520 Autofocusing features
Olympus E-520 includes both Phase Detect Auto Focus along with Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier and accurate than Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera comes with Face detection which makes it handy for portrait photography.
It comes with 3 focus points to pick from. Olympus E-520 has manual focusing if needed during low light occasions or you want more accurate focusing control.
Olympus E-520 Battery life
The battery power for the Olympus E-520 is designed to last for 650 clicks as per the CIPA benchmarks making it above the usual when compared to its category. The typical Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x features the highest (1900) battery life within this kind of cameras.
Here is a collection of Entry-Level DSLR cameras which have the best battery life:
Olympus E-520 for various forms of photography
The following diagram indicates a analysis of the Olympus E-520 for various forms of photography. To see more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.
Olympus E-520 as a Portrait photography camera
The Olympus E-520 receives a score of 58 which is reasonable, meaning that it is relatively appropriate for portraits. Shooting portraits leans heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support and capability to work with external lighting.
Olympus E-520 Street photography factors
Coming in at a very good rating of 65, the Olympus E-520 is a respectable choice to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera comes with a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.
Olympus E-520 as a Sports photography camera
A decent sports photography points tally of 55 indicates the Olympus E-520 is somewhat adequate for photographing sports. A camera needs to have great autofocus plus continuous shooting for sports photography.
Travel photography with Olympus E-520
Portability is pretty crucial when choosing a travel camera. Over-all, the Olympus E-520 gets a moderate 52 as a travelling camera which is fairly acceptable for your holidays.
Landscape photography with Olympus E-520
For anyone who is planning to buy a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most critical factor will no doubt be image quality. The Olympus E-520 and it's average grade of 57 for a landscape camera is reasonably suited amongst its competition.
Olympus E-520 Vlogging details
A vlogging camera should really have a moving display, mic port and ideally IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Olympus E-520 is not really acceptable for vlogging as it receives a awful rating of 9.
Olympus E-520 Alternatives
If you need alternatives to the E-520, here is a collection of the highest ranked cameras that fall into the class of Entry-Level DSLR.
The diagram below gives you a summary of the E-520 vs it's highest ranked competitors suggested previously.
There are more cameras you may see as alternative options. To go through a full comparison, just click on the "compare" link.