Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic GH5s
The Olympus E-520 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2008 and January 2018. The E-520 is a DSLR, while the GH5s is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 9.9 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Check E-520 offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-520 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s? 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.
Body comparison
An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-520 and the Panasonic GH5s is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.



If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic GH5s is notably larger (9 percent) than the Olympus E-520. Moreover, the GH5s is markedly heavier (23 percent) than the E-520. It is noteworthy in this context that the GH5s is splash and dust-proof, while the E-520 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.
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. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras, which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-520) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (GH5s). Mirrorless cameras, such as the GH5s, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.
Concerning battery life, the E-520 gets 750 shots out of its Olympus BLM-1 battery, while the GH5s can take 440 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLF19 power pack.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

| Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-520 | 136 mm | 92 mm | 68 mm | 535 g | 750 | n | May 2008 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 2. | Panasonic GH5s | 139 mm | 98 mm | 87 mm | 660 g | 440 | Y | Jan 2018 | US$ 2 499 | amazon.com | |
| 3. | Olympus E-30 | 142 mm | 108 mm | 75 mm | 701 g | 750 | n | Nov 2008 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
| 4. | Olympus E-410 | 130 mm | 91 mm | 53 mm | 435 g | 500 | n | Mar 2007 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 5. | Olympus E-420 | 130 mm | 91 mm | 53 mm | 440 g | 500 | n | Mar 2008 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| 6. | Olympus E-450 | 130 mm | 91 mm | 53 mm | 440 g | 500 | n | Mar 2009 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
| 7. | Olympus E-510 | 136 mm | 92 mm | 68 mm | 538 g | 750 | n | Mar 2007 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 8. | Olympus E-600 | 130 mm | 94 mm | 60 mm | 535 g | 500 | n | Aug 2009 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
| 9. | Olympus E-620 | 130 mm | 94 mm | 60 mm | 521 g | 500 | n | Feb 2009 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 10. | Olympus E-P1 | 121 mm | 70 mm | 36 mm | 355 g | 300 | n | Jun 2009 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 11. | Olympus E-P2 | 121 mm | 70 mm | 36 mm | 355 g | 300 | n | Nov 2009 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 12. | Panasonic FZ300 | 132 mm | 92 mm | 117 mm | 691 g | 380 | Y | Jul 2015 | US$ 599 | amazon.com | |
| 13. | Panasonic GH3 | 133 mm | 93 mm | 82 mm | 550 g | 540 | Y | Sep 2012 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
| 14. | Panasonic GH4 | 133 mm | 93 mm | 84 mm | 560 g | 500 | Y | Feb 2014 | US$ 1 499 | ebay.com | |
| 15. | Panasonic GH5 | 139 mm | 98 mm | 87 mm | 725 g | 410 | Y | Jan 2017 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
| 16. | Panasonic GH7 | 138 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm | 805 g | 380 | Y | Jun 2024 | US$ 2 199 | amazon.com | |
| 17. | Panasonic L10 | 135 mm | 96 mm | 78 mm | 556 g | 450 | n | Aug 2007 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The E-520 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 72 percent) than the GH5s, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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.
Sensor comparison
The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras 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.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-520 offers a slightly higher resolution of 10 megapixels, compared with 9.9 MP of the GH5s. This megapixels advantage translates into a 0.90000000000001 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-520 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.74μm versus 4.77μm for the GH5s). Moreover, it should be noted that the GH5s is much more recent (by 9 years and 7 months) than the E-520, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the GH5s has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The Olympus E-520 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s are ISO 160 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-204800.
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.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

| 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 | 2736 | none | 21.4 | 10.4 | 548 | 55 | |
| 2. | Panasonic GH5s | Four Thirds | 9.9 | 3680 | 2700 | 4K/60p | 23.1 | 12.8 | 1154 | 74 | |
| 3. | Olympus E-30 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | none | 21.3 | 10.4 | 530 | 55 | |
| 4. | Olympus E-410 | Four Thirds | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | none | 21.1 | 10.0 | 494 | 51 | |
| 5. | Olympus E-420 | Four Thirds | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | none | 21.5 | 10.4 | 527 | 56 | |
| 6. | Olympus E-450 | Four Thirds | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | none | 21.5 | 10.5 | 512 | 56 | |
| 7. | Olympus E-510 | Four Thirds | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | none | 21.2 | 10.0 | 442 | 52 | |
| 8. | Olympus E-600 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | none | 21.5 | 10.3 | 541 | 55 | |
| 9. | Olympus E-620 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | none | 21.3 | 10.3 | 536 | 55 | |
| 10. | Olympus E-P1 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.4 | 10.4 | 536 | 55 | |
| 11. | Olympus E-P2 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.5 | 10.4 | 505 | 56 | |
| 12. | Panasonic FZ300 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 4K/30p | 19.3 | 11.0 | 97 | 38 | |
| 13. | Panasonic GH3 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/60p | 22.7 | 12.4 | 812 | 71 | |
| 14. | Panasonic GH4 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 4K/30p | 23.2 | 12.8 | 791 | 74 | |
| 15. | Panasonic GH5 | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/60p | 23.9 | 13.0 | 807 | 77 | |
| 16. | Panasonic GH7 | Four Thirds | 25.0 | 5776 | 4336 | 5.7K/60p | 23.4 | 13.6 | 1784 | 78 | |
| 17. | Panasonic L10 | Four Thirds | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | none | 21.3 | 10.8 | 429 | 55 | |
| Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. | |||||||||||
Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The GH5s indeed provides for movie recording, while the E-520 does not. The highest resolution format that the GH5s can use is 4K/60p.
Feature comparison
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the GH5s has an electronic viewfinder (3680k dots), while the E-520 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the GH5s offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the E-520 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the GH5s has a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.46x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-520 and Panasonic GH5s along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

| 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-520 | optical | n | 2.7 / 215 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | Y | |
| 2. | Panasonic GH5s | 3680 | n | 3.2 / 1620 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 12.0/s | n | n | |
| 3. | Olympus E-30 | optical | Y | 2.7 / 230 | swivel | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 4. | Olympus E-410 | optical | n | 2.5 / 215 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
| 5. | Olympus E-420 | optical | n | 2.7 / 215 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | n | |
| 6. | Olympus E-450 | optical | n | 2.7 / 215 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | n | |
| 7. | Olympus E-510 | optical | n | 2.5 / 215 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 8. | Olympus E-600 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 9. | Olympus E-620 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 10. | Olympus E-P1 | none | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | Y | |
| 11. | Olympus E-P2 | optional | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | Y | |
| 12. | Panasonic FZ300 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 13. | Panasonic GH3 | 1746 | n | 3.0 / 614 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
| 14. | Panasonic GH4 | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 1036 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 12.0/s | Y | n | |
| 15. | Panasonic GH5 | 3680 | n | 3.2 / 1620 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 12.0/s | n | Y | |
| 16. | Panasonic GH7 | 3680 | n | 3.0 / 1840 | full-flex | Y | 1/8000s | 14.0/s | n | Y | |
| 17. | Panasonic L10 | optical | n | 2.5 / 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. | |||||||||||
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The E-520 has one, while the GH5s does not. While the built-in flash of the E-520 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The GH5s 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.The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the GH5s is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).
The Panasonic GH5s has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
The E-520 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the GH5s uses SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.
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 Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

| Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-520 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 2. | Panasonic GH5s | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.1 | Y | - | Y | |
| 3. | Olympus E-30 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 4. | Olympus E-410 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 5. | Olympus E-420 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 6. | Olympus E-450 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 7. | Olympus E-510 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 8. | Olympus E-600 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 9. | Olympus E-620 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 10. | Olympus E-P1 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 11. | Olympus E-P2 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 12. | Panasonic FZ300 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 13. | Panasonic GH3 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 14. | Panasonic GH4 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
| 15. | Panasonic GH5 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.1 | Y | - | Y | |
| 16. | Panasonic GH7 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
| 17. | Panasonic L10 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - |
It is notable that the GH5s offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the E-520 does not provide wifi capability.
Studio photographers will appreciate that the Panasonic GH5s (unlike the E-520) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.
The GH5s is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the E-520 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the E-520 from Olympus. Further information on the features and operation of the E-520 and GH5s can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-520 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic GH5s Manual.
Review summary
So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Olympus E-520 better than the Panasonic GH5s or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus E-520:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
- Less heavy: Is lighter (by 125g or 19 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 440) on a single battery charge.
- Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (72 percent cheaper at launch).
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in May 2008).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s:
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 4K/60p video.
- More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
- More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.46x).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1620k vs 215k dots).
- More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 3.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
- More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
- Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.1 vs 2.0).
- Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
- Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
- Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
- More modern: Reflects 9 years and 7 months of technical progress since the E-520 launch.
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the GH5s is the clear winner of the contest (21 : 8 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.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-520 and the Panasonic GH5s place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings 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 partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-520 or the GH5s. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major 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.

| Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-520 | .. | 87/100 | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | May 2008 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 2. | Panasonic GH5s | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2018 | US$ 2 499 | amazon.com | |
| 3. | Olympus E-30 | .. | .. | .. | 71/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Nov 2008 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
| 4. | Olympus E-410 | .. | 86/100 | .. | + + | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Mar 2007 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 5. | Olympus E-420 | .. | 85/100 | .. | + + | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Mar 2008 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| 6. | Olympus E-450 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Mar 2009 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
| 7. | Olympus E-510 | .. | 89/100 | .. | + + | 3.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Mar 2007 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 8. | Olympus E-600 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | Aug 2009 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
| 9. | Olympus E-620 | 3/5 | 88/100 | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2009 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 10. | Olympus E-P1 | .. | + | .. | 66/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2009 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 11. | Olympus E-P2 | 3/5 | + | .. | 69/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Nov 2009 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 12. | Panasonic FZ300 | .. | + + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2015 | US$ 599 | amazon.com | |
| 13. | Panasonic GH3 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
| 14. | Panasonic GH4 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 85/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2014 | US$ 1 499 | ebay.com | |
| 15. | Panasonic GH5 | 4.5/5 | + + | .. | 85/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jan 2017 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
| 16. | Panasonic GH7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Jun 2024 | US$ 2 199 | amazon.com | |
| 17. | Panasonic L10 | .. | 85/100 | .. | + | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2007 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. | |||||||||||
Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check E-520 offers at
ebay.com

Check GH5s price at
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Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.
- Canon G15 vs Olympus E-520
- Canon R5 vs Panasonic GH5s
- Hasselblad X2D 100C vs Panasonic GH5s
- Leica M-E Typ 240 vs Olympus E-520
- Leica S Typ 006 vs Olympus E-520
- Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-520
- Nikon L840 vs Olympus E-520
- Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic GX85
- Panasonic G80 vs Panasonic GH5s
- Panasonic GH5s vs Panasonic LX10
- Panasonic GH5s vs Sony A9 II
- Panasonic GH5s vs Sony A99
Specifications: Olympus E-520 vs Panasonic GH5s
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 Model | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic GH5s |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Mirrorless system camera |
| Camera Lens | Four Thirds lenses | Micro Four Thirds lenses |
| Launch Date | May 2008 | January 2018 |
| Launch Price | USD 699 | USD 2,499 |
| Sensor Specs | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic GH5s |
| 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 | 9.9 Megapixels |
| Image Resolution | 3648 x 2736 pixels | 3680 x 2700 pixels |
| Pixel Pitch | 4.74 μm | 4.77 μm |
| Pixel Density | 4.44 MP/cm2 | 4.42 MP/cm2 |
| Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | no AA filter |
| Movie Capability | no Video | 4K/60p Video |
| ISO Setting | 100 - 1,600 ISO | 160 - 51,200 ISO |
| ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 80 - 204,800 ISO |
| Image Processor | TruePic III | Venus 10 |
| DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 55 | .. |
| DXO Color Depth (bits) | 21.4 | .. |
| DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 10.4 | .. |
| DXO Low Light (ISO) | 548 | .. |
| Screen Specs | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic GH5s |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Electronic viewfinder |
| Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.46x | 0.76x |
| Viewfinder Resolution | 3680k dots | |
| LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
| Rear LCD Size | 2.7inch | 3.2inch |
| LCD Resolution | 215k dots | 1620k dots |
| LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Swivel screen |
| Touch Input | no Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| Shooting Specs | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic GH5s |
| Focus System | Phase-detect AF | Contrast-detect AF |
| Manual Focusing Aid | no Peaking Feature | Focus Peaking |
| Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
| Continuous Shooting | 3.5 shutter flaps/s | 12 shutter flaps/s |
| Electronic Shutter | no E-Shutter | up to 1/16000s |
| Time-Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | Intervalometer built-in |
| Image Stabilization | In-body stabilization | Lens stabilization only |
| Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
| Storage Medium | CF or XD cards | SDXC cards |
| Single or Dual Card Slots | Dual card slots | Dual card slots |
| Connectivity Specs | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic GH5s |
| External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
| Studio Flash | no PC Sync | PC Sync socket |
| USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 3.1 |
| HDMI Port | no HDMI | full HDMI |
| Microphone Port | no MIC socket | External MIC port |
| Headphone Socket | no Headphone port | Headphone port |
| Wifi Support | no Wifi | Wifi built-in |
| Bluetooth Support | no Bluetooth | Bluetooth built-in |
| Body Specs | Olympus E-520 | Panasonic GH5s |
| Environmental Sealing | not weather sealed | Weathersealed body |
| Battery Type | Olympus BLM-1 | Panasonic DMW-BLF19 |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 750 shots per charge | 440 shots per charge |
| Body Dimensions |
136 x 92 x 68 mm (5.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 in) |
139 x 98 x 87 mm (5.5 x 3.9 x 3.4 in) |
| Camera Weight | 535 g (18.9 oz) | 660 g (23.3 oz) |

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