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Olympus E-520 vs E-620

The Olympus E-520 and the Olympus E-620 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2008 and February 2009. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-520 has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the E-620 provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications
Olympus E-520
versus
Olympus E-620
Olympus E-520   Olympus E-620
Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses Four Thirds lenses
10 MP – Four Thirds sensor 12.2 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video no Video
ISO 100-1,600 ISO 100-3,200
Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
2.7" LCD – 215k dots 2.7" LCD – 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
3.5 shutter flaps per second 4 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilizationIn-body stabilization
750 shots per battery charge500 shots per battery charge
136 x 92 x 68 mm, 535 g 130 x 94 x 60 mm, 521 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-520 and the Olympus E-620? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

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Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-520 and the Olympus E-620 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-620
Compare E-520 versus E-620 top
Comparison E-520 or E-620 rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-620 is somewhat smaller (2 percent) than the Olympus E-520. Moreover, the E-620 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the E-520. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-520 nor the E-620 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the E-520 gets 750 shots out of its BLM-1 battery, while the E-620 can take 500 images on a single charge of its BLS-1 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

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Body Specifications
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-520 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 535 g 750 n May 2008 699ebay.com
2.
 
Olympus E-620 130 mm 94 mm 60 mm 521 g 500 n Feb 2009 699ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-450 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2009 499ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-600 130 mm 94 mm 60 mm 535 g 500 n Aug 2009 449ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-P1 121 mm 70 mm 36 mm 355 g 300 n Jun 2009 799ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-P2 121 mm 70 mm 36 mm 355 g 300 n Nov 2009 799ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-30 142 mm 108 mm 75 mm 701 g 750 n Nov 2008 1,299ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-420 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2008 599ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-410 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Mar 2007 699ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-510 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 538 g 750 n Mar 2007 799ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic L10 135 mm 96 mm 78 mm 556 g 450 n Aug 2007 599ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-620 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic III+) than the E-520 (TruePic III), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-620 sensor measures

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-620 offers a higher resolution of 12.2 megapixels, compared with 10 MP of the E-520. This megapixels advantage translates into a 11 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-620 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 4.74μm for the E-520). However, it should be noted that the E-620 is a somewhat more recent model (by 9 months) than the E-520, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-620 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-620 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 20.2 x 15.1 inches or 51.2 x 38.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 16.1 x 12.1 inches or 41 x 30.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 13.4 x 10.1 inches or 34.1 x 25.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-520 are 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm for good quality, 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm for very good quality, and 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus E-520 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-620 are ISO 100 to ISO 3200 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

E-520 versus E-620 MP

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Olympus E-520 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.410.454855
2.
 
Olympus E-620 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024none21.310.353655
3.
 
Olympus E-450 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.551256
4.
 
Olympus E-600 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024none21.510.354155
5.
 
Olympus E-P1 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024720/30p21.410.453655
6.
 
Olympus E-P2 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024720/30p21.510.450556
7.
 
Olympus E-30 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024none21.310.453055
8.
 
Olympus E-420 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.452756
9.
 
Olympus E-410 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.110.049451
10.
 
Olympus E-510 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.210.044252
11.
 
Panasonic L10 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.310.842955
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Both the E-520 and the E-620 offer Live View, so that they make it possible to use the rear screen for framing. Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.
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Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-520 and the E-620 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the E-620 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-520 (0.48x vs 0.46x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-620 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
# image Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Olympus E-520optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y Y
2.
 
Olympus E-620optical n2.7 / 230 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y Y
3.
 
Olympus E-450optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
4.
 
Olympus E-600optical n2.7 / 230 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y Y
5.
 
Olympus E-P1none n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s n Y
6.
 
Olympus E-P2optional n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s n Y
7.
 
Olympus E-30optical Y2.7 / 230 swivel n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Olympus E-420optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
9.
 
Olympus E-410optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
10.
 
Olympus E-510optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y Y
11.
 
Panasonic L10optical n2.5 / 207 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The E-620 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-520 does not have a selfie-screen.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-520 and the E-620 write their files to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

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Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-520 and Olympus E-620 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Olympus E-520Y- / ----2.0---
2.
 
Olympus E-620Y- / ----2.0---
3.
 
Olympus E-450Y- / ----2.0---
4.
 
Olympus E-600Y- / ----2.0---
5.
 
Olympus E-P1Ystereo / ---mini2.0---
6.
 
Olympus E-P2Ystereo / ---mini2.0---
7.
 
Olympus E-30Y- / ----2.0---
8.
 
Olympus E-420Y- / ----2.0---
9.
 
Olympus E-410Y- / ----2.0---
10.
 
Olympus E-510Y- / ----2.0---
11.
 
Panasonic L10Y- / ----2.0---
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Both the E-520 and the E-620 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-620 was replaced by the Olympus E-600, while the E-520 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the E-520 and E-620 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-520 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-620 Manual.

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Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-520 or the Olympus E-620 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.


Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-520:

  • Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 500) on a single battery charge.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in May 2008).


Advantages of the Olympus E-620:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 10MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.
  • Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic III+ vs TruePic III).
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.48x vs 0.46x).
  • More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (4 vs 3.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • More modern: Was introduced somewhat (9 months) more recently.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-620 is the clear winner of the contest (7 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

E-520 02:07 E-620

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-520 and the Olympus E-620 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-520 or the E-620 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

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Expert Camera Reviews
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-520..87/100..+ +4.5/54.5/5 May 2008 699ebay.com
2.
 
Olympus E-6203/588/100..72/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2009 699ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-450........4/54/5 Mar 2009 499ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-600..........4.5/5 Aug 2009 449ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-P1..+..66/1004/54.5/5 Jun 2009 799ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-P23/5+..69/1004/54.5/5 Nov 2009 799ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-30......71/1004.5/54/5 Nov 2008 1,299ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-420..85/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2008 599ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-410..86/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2007 699ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-510..89/100..+ +3.5/54.5/5 Mar 2007 799ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic L10..85/100..+3.5/54/5 Aug 2007 599ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications: Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-620

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Olympus E-520 Olympus E-620
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Four Thirds lenses Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date May 2008 February 2009
    Launch Price USD 699 USD 699
    Sensor Specs Olympus E-520 Olympus E-620
    Sensor Technology CMOS CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor Four Thirds Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm 17.3 x 13.0 mm
    Sensor Area 224.9 mm2 224.9 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm 21.6 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x 2.0x
    Sensor Resolution 10 Megapixels 12.2 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3648 x 2736 pixels 4032 x 3024 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.74 μm 4.29 μm
    Pixel Density 4.44 MP/cm2 5.42 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video no Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 1,600 ISO 100 - 3,200 ISO
    Image Processor TruePic III TruePic III+
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 55 55
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 21.4 21.3
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 10.4 10.3
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 548 536
    Screen Specs Olympus E-520 Olympus E-620
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95% 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.46x 0.48x
    LCD Framing Live View Live View
    Rear LCD Size 2.7inch 2.7inch
    LCD Resolution 215k dots 230k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen Swivel screen
    Shooting Specs Olympus E-520 Olympus E-620
    Focus System Phase-detect AF Phase-detect AF
    Continuous Shooting 3.5 shutter flaps/s 4 shutter flaps/s
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF or XD cards CF or XD cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots Dual card slots
    Connectivity Specs Olympus E-520 Olympus E-620
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI no HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi no Wifi
    Body Specs Olympus E-520 Olympus E-620
    Battery Type BLM-1 BLS-1
    Battery Life (CIPA)750 shots per charge500 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 136 x 92 x 68 mm
    (5.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 in)
    130 x 94 x 60 mm
    (5.1 x 3.7 x 2.4 in)
    Camera Weight 535 g (18.9 oz) 521 g (18.4 oz)
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