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7.7 out of 10

Olympus E-520

10.0 megapixels, first seen: 12 January 2008

Information found in: from 142 sources in 23 countries.

Best Price: 389.97 USD

  • User Score (294)
    9.2 9.2 from 294 reviewers
  • Expert Score (32)
    7.8 7.8 from 32 reviewers
  • Design (9)
    8.0 8.0 from 9 reviewers
  • Value for money (18)
    8.0 8.0 from 18 reviewers
  • Features (16)
    8.1 8.1 from 16 reviewers
  • Ease of use (20)
    7.8 7.8 from 20 reviewers
  • Performance (32)
    7.8 7.8 from 32 reviewers
  • Picture quality (41)
    7.8 7.8 from 41 reviewers
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Pros & Cons

  • effective image stabilisation, redeye not a problem, image stabilisation, very effective anti, camera body stabiliser
  • although af performance good, nothing to complain about, slow focus using led, relatively basic 3, banding at highest sensitivities

The perfect moment doesn’t wait. That’s why serious photographers need serious equipment so that they are ready for whatever comes. With its pro features and top image quality, the new Olympus E-520 D-SLR fits the bill perfectly. The next evolution to the EISA Award-winning E-500 series incorporates a built-in image stabiliser to ensure blur-free shots irrespective of the lens attached - no matter if wide-angle or ultra-tele and without the need for a tripod. Matched …

Manufacturer's Specs

  • Lens mount
    Four Thirds
  • Body material
    Glassfibre reinforced plastics
  • Effective pixels
    10 Megapixels
  • Filter array
    Primary colour filter (RGB)
  • Full resolution
    11.8 Megapixels
  • Type
    TruePic III
  • Type
    4/3 '' Live MOS sensor
  • Aspect ratio & area
    4:3 / 17.3 x 13.0 mm
  • LPF filter
    Fixed type
  • IR cut filter
    Hybrid type

Release Date

  • First seen
    12 January 2008

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Reviews of Olympus E-520

  1. Olympus E-520

    Reviewer: TrustedReviews
    29 May 2008

    The tenth camera in Olympus' Four Thirds system and the third in the 500 series, is the new E-520, a 10.0-megapixel model and an update to last year's E-510. Featuring the same sensor resolution as the earlier model, the new camera sees a few tweaks to improve the performance and handling. Read more

  2. Olympus E-520

    Reviewer: PhotographyBLOG
    2 August 2008
    Overall 9
    9.0
    Design 9
    9.0
    Value for money 9
    9.0
    Features 9
    9.0
    Ease of use 8
    8.0
    Picture quality 9
    9.0
     

    A fully-fledged mid-range DSLR in a compact body, at an entry-level price � this is how one could distill the essence of the Olympus E-520 into one sentence. The new camera inherits the very well designed body, efficient handling and semi-professional feature set of its predecessor, and gains important capabilities such as wireless TTL flash control, Shadow Adjustment Technology and contrast-detect auto-focus in Live View. JPEG shooters will be delighted to learn that... Read more

  3. Olympus E-520

    Reviewer: DigitalVersus
    14 October 2008
    Overall 6
    6.0
     

    The E-520 is a fully-featured digital SLR with a whole range of useful additions (image stabilization, good anti-dust enclosure, Live View ...), which produces excellent quality photos. It's just a shame Olympus hasn't been able to improve the viewfinder or the AutoFocus system ... Read more

  4. Reviewer: Photo answers
    7 November 2008
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    Features & handling Olympus has consistently produced D-SLRs with advanced features as standard – long before the bigger brands such as Canon or Nikon. Over the past few years we’ve seen Olympus roll out features such as Live View, in-camera sensor cleaning and image stabilisation long before its rivals, and the addition of Live View on the E-520 means that Olympus now offers this feature as standard right across its D-SLR line-up – something no other manufacturer... Read more

  5. 10-megapixel digital-SLR

    5 August 2008
    Overall 9
    9.0
     

    A superb feature set and great handling plus great image quality are combined in a camera that is a great price and available in a variety of lens kits to suit almost any photographers desires. The FourThirds format means a 2x field of view adjustment needed for the lenses you use but this also means that lenses are compact and lightweight too, making the system’s cameras ideal travel companions. To sum up then, the Olympus E-520 is a compact, lightweight system camera... Read more

  1. A very enjoyable camera!!!

    Reviewer: Beatle Bass, J&R
    28 May 2009
    Overall 10
    10
     

    This is my first D-SLR, but I've had really good film cameras since 1977. My recent being a Canon AE-1, which is at least 33 years old. I researched many D-SLRs, and the total package with the Olympus 40-150 ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 zoom lens, was a great deal. Yes, the total package was the deciding factor for me. My favorite features would be the short cut buttons on the camera body. The flash control button is great and lets the user change settings very... Read more

  2. Perfect moment does not wait. Olympus E-520

    Reviewer: DealTime UK
    24 September 2009
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    Perfect moment does not wait. Olympus E-520 Digital Camera with 14-42mm lens that is why serious photographers need serious equipment to be ready for any situation. Due to the professional functionality and higher image quality the E-520 perfectly suitable for photography. Building on the success of the series E-500, received the award EISA, model E-520 is equipped with a built-in image stabilizer, which guarantees sharp images, regardless of the lens. Add to this the... Read more

  3. Olympus E-520

    Reviewer: mikekent, Photo answers
    30 October 2008
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    When making my choice of a first DSLR the in-body stabilisation in the E-520 was an attracive feature agianst systems using in-lens stabilisation. The handling of the camera was also comfortable for my large hands, and much more so than the E-420, which felt far too small when held. Having used the E-520 for a year, I have found it to be a capable little camera. I have used it for landscape, wildlife and macro photography with good results (when my technique allows). I... Read more

  4. Broken

    Reviewer: Amazon
    12 May 2010 See Product at Amazon (613.96 USD)
    Overall 4
    4.0
     

    The XD picture card would not stay (click inside) in the camera therefore the camera would not recognize it had a picture card inserted and I couldn't use the camera at all!! Read more

  5. Too clever for its own good

    Reviewer: Amazon
    27 June 2010 See Product at Amazon (613.96 USD)
    Overall 6
    6.0
     

    This review is from: Olympus E-520 DSLR Camera With 14-42mm lens (Electronics) I have owned Olympus film cameras for 30+ years and am fully acquainted with their light weight bodies yet `pro' quality lenses and ergonomic controls. When I wanted to upgrade to a `digital darkroom' using image processing computer software, it's not surprising that I stuck with brand loyalty. However, the E520 is a world away from the likes of the OM4. Its Zuiko lenses continue to produce... Read more

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