Olympus E-520: Update to a Top Seller

Olympus E-520 vs. Olympus E-3

The Olympus E-3 is the latest Olympus camera to be aimed at professionals and advanced amateurs. Sensor resolution is the same as the Olympus E-500/510 and the latest E-520. The E-520 incorporates many of the advances of the E-3, however, and it should deliver better image quality and lower noise than the earlier members of the E-5XX series. Images below were taken using the same 35mm f3.5 macro lens on both Olympus cameras. Cameras were mounted on a tripod at the same location and images were captured at f/4. Normally lenses perform best when closed down 2 or 3 stops, but lens tests have shown the Olympus 35mm f3.5 macro to be just as sharp at f/3.5 as it is at f5.6 or f8.0.

The E-3 features the ultimate screen for Live View in the tilt and swivel screen that can be moved to any position for viewing - even pointing toward the front for self-portrait composition or straight down for shooting in crowds with the camera overhead. In contrast, the E-520 has a fixed, no-tilt, non-swivel LCD screen, but it still adds new modes to the Live View offerings. Contrast Detest AF with 11 focus points allows continuous image view with the E-520 while the camera is focusing. No mirror flip is required when shooting in contrast-detect AF. The E-3 is almost three times the cost of the E-520. However, bringing electronics and processing algorithms from the E-3 to the E-520 makes image quality surprisingly close between the two cameras.

All comparisons on the next few pages were shot at f4 from the same tripod location. With a 2X multiplier the Olympus cameras with a 35mm lens are a 35mm equivalent of 70mm.

ISO Comparison – Olympus E-520 vs. Olympus E-3
ISO	Olympus E-520	Olympus E-3
100
200
400
800
1600
3200
Click on any of the above image crops for the full image. Note: Full size images are between 4.3MB and 5.2MB!

Where the E-3 still excels is in speed - it is one of the fastest auto-focusing cameras on the market. Also, where the E-520 makes do with a center cross and two additional AF points, the E-3 sports 11 double-cross AF points based on 44 discrete AF points. It is much like comparing a very rudimentary AF system (E-520) to the state-of-the-art (E-3).

The E-520 is also not even near the same league in terms of sealing and weather-resistance of the camera. Olympus has earned a deserved reputation for their top-line cameras that can handle mud, rain, snow, and just about any weather situation you can imagine. If you can afford the E-3, it is definitely a better choice. However, not everyone is prepared to invest $1699 into just the camera body, and at less than 1/3 the price the E-520 delivers remarkably close image quality in a body that requires normal care. The E-520 will not be happy in a downpour or in the mud and snow, but it will deliver similar image quality to the E-3 in most of the shooting situations you normally encounter.