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Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520 Comparison

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Panasonic S5

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic S5
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Olympus E-520

10 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-520
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Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic S5, which was introduced in August 2020 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Olympus E-520, which was introduced in August 2008 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, E-520 is 12 years older than S5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-08-14
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50 - 204800)
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 714g. 133 x 97 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Olympus E-520 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2008-08-20
  • 10MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.70" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 4.0fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 552g. 136 x 92 x 68 mm
  • Replaced Olympus E-510 Compare

Panasonic S5 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Panasonic S5
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Olympus E-520

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 over Olympus E-520
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.74x vs 0.46x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 10 MP 140% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 1.600 3100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 3 222 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Resolution
1.840k dots vs 230k dots 700% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 95% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 4.0fps 3 fps faster
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth
25.1 vs 21.4 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.5 vs 10.4 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
2697 vs 548 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
35.30µm2 vs 22.54µm2 56% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (96 MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK S5 PRICE


Reasons to choose Olympus E-520 over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Battery Life
650 shots vs 440 shots 210 more frames with a single charge
Weight
552 g vs 714 g 162 g lighter
CHECK E-520 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Olympus E-520
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Olympus E-520
LCD Screen Size
2.70" vs 2.70" Small display
Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S5 has external dimensions of 133 x 97 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.82 x 3.23″) and weighs 714 g (1.57 lb) (including batteries). Olympus E-520 has external dimensions of 136 x 92 x 68 mm (5.35 x 3.62 x 2.68″) and weighs 552 g (1.22 lb / 19.47 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520. Olympus E-520 is 5mm shorter and 14mm thinner than Panasonic S5 but it is also 3mm wider.

Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-520 is significantly lighter (162g ) than the Panasonic S5 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Panasonic S5 has a Full frame sensor and Olympus E-520 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-520's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Panasonic S5 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

S5
E-520
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

S5
E-520
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that S5 has a big advantage over E-520 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-520's 2.7" screen.

Moreover, Panasonic S5 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Olympus E-520 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S5.
Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-520 has a 10.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Panasonic S5's sensor provides 14MP more than Olympus E-520's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic S5's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S5 and E-520 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic S5 has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-520. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, S5 has scored 94, 39 points higher than E-520.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Panasonic S5 94 25.1 bits 14.5 Evs 2697 ISO
Olympus E-520 55 21.4 bits 10.4 Evs 548 ISO
Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Panasonic S5 has an advantage over Olympus E-520. There are 58 lenses for Panasonic S5's Leica L mount, on the other hand there are only 47 lenses for Olympus E-520's Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. S5's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Panasonic S5 Lenses # of Olympus E-520 Lenses
Standard Zoom 8 (7 Full Frame) 8
Standard Prime 11 (10 Full Frame) 5
Wideangle Zoom 5 (5 Full Frame) 4
Wideangle Prime 18 (17 Full Frame) 9
Telephoto Zoom 7 (7 Full Frame) 6
Telephoto Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) 5
SuperZoom n/a 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 3
Macro Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 4
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 58 (55 Full Frame) 47

What types of Photography are Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic S5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-520 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-520 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-520 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
Environmental Sealings
3 Focus Points
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-520 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
714g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Large Body
552g
Body Thickness 68mm
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-520 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Olympus E-520: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic S5 and Olympus E-520 scores compare:

Panasonic S5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #30 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #32 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Olympus E-520
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #54 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #439 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus E-520 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Panasonic S5.

Panasonic S5
Panasonic S5
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Olympus E-520
Olympus E-520
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Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Olympus E-520
Brand Panasonic Olympus
Announced 2020-08-14 2008-08-20
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Four Thirds
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 847.28mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 225 3
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica L Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 58 47
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 2.70"
Resolution 1,840k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x 0.46x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 714g 552g
Dimensions 133 x 97 x 82mm 136 x 92 x 68mm
Battery Life 440 shots 650 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 94 55
DxO Color Depth 25.1 21.4
DxO Dynamic Range 14.5 10.4
DxO Low Light ISO 2697 548
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