by Photo-John 
The Olympus E-520 is a 10-megapixel digital SLR with a compact body, built-in image stabilization, a 2.7-inch LCD with live view, and enough exposure modes to please any photographer. It’s part of the Four Thirds System, which uses a smaller 4:3 aspect ratio imaging sensor that helps keep the camera body and lenses small and light.
Pros - Light and compact
- Built-in mechanical image stabilization
- Super Control Panel LCD interface
- Excellent, compact lenses
- Lots of customization possible
- 3.5 frames-per-second frame rate
- Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system
- Great value
| Cons - Image quality isn’t as good as the competition
- Sometimes auto focus locks up
- Only three auto focus points
- Menus and customization options can be overwhelming
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Introduction
I’ve been using the E-520 since Olympus sent me a pre-production camera in the early spring. On the surface it looks almost exactly like the E-510. However, there’s a lot more to the E-520 than meets the eye. It has a new 10-megapixel sensor, new TruePic III image processing, new LCD, Live View with auto focus and face detection, improved in-camera image stabilization, and better high ISO performance. I’ve shot a wide variety of stuff with it including candid people photos, spring ski photos and hundreds of mountain bike pictures. I’ve actually used it more than any other camera while I’ve had it. Let me tell you why…
Features
The Olympus E-520 might look small and insubstantial compared to some other DSLRs. But don’t let the size fool you. Olympus has packed a lot of features into the E-520 and it’s definitely more than the sum of its apparent parts.
One thing that sets the Olympus digital SLRs apart from Nikon and Canon (Pentax and Sony have similar built-in image stabilization systems) is the built-in, sensor-level image stabilization. No matter what lens you use, the image-stabilized sensor will compensate for camera shake. The E-520 has the same two axis image stabilization of previous models and a new IS mode for vertical panning.
The E-520 offers a full range of exposure modes, from full manual to full auto, with Program, priority modes, and scene modes to cover most any situation. The sensitivity range is ISO 100 to 1600 and there are five metering modes including spot, Hi Spot Metering (HI) and Shadow Spot Metering (SH). The Hi Spot and Shadow Spot modes compensate for bright or dark subjects so the photographer doesn’t have to. White balance options include auto, four presets, three programmable custom settings, and selectable color temperature. The camera also includes Olympus Shadow Adjust Technology. The Shadow Adjust feature lightens shadows to increase the dynamic range of contrasty photos (see below). It is applied automatically in scene modes, with Face Detection, and when Live View is being used. It can’t be used on RAW images, although RAW files can be converted to JPEG in the camera and then Shadow Adjust can be applied.
Olympus Shadow Adjust samples: Left image is not adjusted and the right photo has had Shadow Adjust applied. Click to see larger versions.
Auto focus can be set for single shot, continuous, manual, or S-AF+MF and C-AF+MF. The last two use auto focus but allow the photographer to manually override. There is no manual focus switch and unless you’re using one of the Olympus SWD lenses, the focus ring doesn’t even engage unless a manual focus mode is selected. That’s something I don’t recall seeing on any but Olympus DSLRs. The three auto focus points can be individually selected or you can let the camera choose the one it thinks is best. Face detection, a standard digital camera feature now, is also included.
Olympus was the first company to introduce Live View and an anti-dust system and the E-520 has both. The 2.7-inch 230k HyperCrystal II LCD can be used in Live View mode and auto focus - though slow - is possible. The E-520 has a built-in pop-up flash like other cameras in its class as well as wireless flash capability with either the Olympus FL-50R or FL-36R flashes. This camera offers a truly surprising level of customization, including the ability to change the direction of the focus ring or exposure dial. It can take some time and effort to discover all the possibilities. But if there’s something you don’t like, there’s a good chance it can be customized somewhere in the camera’s menu system.
All Olympus E-520 Camera Menus >>
Design
The main design element of the Olympus E-520 is its small size. It’s not as small as the Olympus E-420, currently the world’s smallest digital SLR. But within the overall DSLR size spectrum it’s very compact. The E-520’s Four Thirds sensor is smaller than the APS-C sensors in comparable DSLRs and makes it possible for Olympus to keep E-System camera bodies and lenses very compact. The E-520 body is actually about the same size as the Nikon F60 and Canon XS, but the smaller Four Thirds sensor and 2x digital crop factor makes smaller lenses possible and makes the overall package lighter and smaller than what you’d carry with a Nikon or Canon kit.
Like other entry-level DSLRs, the Olympus E-520 has a single dial exposure control system. There’s a thumb-accessed dial at the top right of the camera that changes exposure. You can toggle between aperture and shutter with a button just behind the shutter release button. For first-time DSLR owners, the single dial exposure control will be no problem. But for photographers used to having separate dials for shutter speed and aperture, it can take some getting used to. It can be even more difficult if this is a second body and your main camera has two dials. However, it does help keep the camera small and you can get used to it. I’ve learned to switch between the E-520 and two-dial cameras without much trouble.
The camera’s controls are comfortable and intuitive. The various buttons and dials on the top and rear of the camera are labeled well and function easily. I really appreciate the ease of the LCD “Super Control Panel.” (See right) Just press the OK button and then use the arrow pad to quickly change settings like ISO, white balance, focus mode, metering mode, flash, and even color and image quality settings.
The E-520 is more menu-driven than other digital SLRs. That’s actually standard with Olympus digital SLRs. There are dedicated controls for the most used settings, like auto focus, white balance, ISO, image stabilization, and metering mode. But the camera also has layers and layers of menu controls and settings. There are pros and cons to the deep menu. On the one hand, the E-520 and other Olympus digital SLRs offer a level of customization I don’t believe is available from any other camera maker. They go as far as allowing the user to choose which direction the manual focus ring turns. However, it can take some effort to discover some important options and the menus can be confusing. For example, until I started writing this review, I thought the E-520 had no depth-of-field preview. Turns out the Fn button can be programmed for depth-of-field preview. So don’t ignore the customizable Fn button. The default Fn setting toggles face detection on and off, but it can also be programmed to control auto focus functions, custom white balance, and depth-of-field preview, and can even completely turned off.
Camera Experience
When it comes to outdoor photography, where smaller and lighter really count, the E-520 is the first camera I reach for. Because it’s so compact and versatile, I particularly enjoy the E-520 for backcountry mountain bike photos. My regular mountain bike riding camera setup right now is the E-520 with the Zuiko Digital ED 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 and the Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 SWD lenses. With the E-520’s 2x digital crop factor, that gives me easy-to-carry, image-stabilized coverage from 24mm all the way up to 600mm.
The camera body isn’t actually smaller than the competition. It’s the lenses that really save space and weight. Since the Four Thirds sensor is smaller than an APS-C sensor (the Nikon DX bodies as well as the Canon Digital Rebel and EOS 40D/50D use APS-C sensors), the Oympus Zuiko Digital lenses are also smaller. The smaller sensor also means there’s a bigger 2x digital crop factor. The 12-60mm is comparable to a 24-120mm lens on a 35mm film or full frame camera. And the 70-300 has the same angle-of-view as a 140-600mm lens. The 70-300mm lens is one of my favorite things about the E-520 and the Olympus E-System. It’s smaller than my Canon 28-135mm IS lens and at 600mm on the long end, it has way more reach. (The Canon 28-135mm IS lens is equivalent to a 45-216mm lens with the 1.6x digital crop factor of the XTi/400D or EOS 40D) It also has excellent image quality - especially considering its compact size and reasonable $400 price tag.
Besides the compact size of the system, I also really like the E-520’s built-in image stabilization. Olympus applies image stabilization by moving the sensor instead of optical elements in the lens. So no matter what lens you’re using you benefit from image stabilization. A Canon or Nikon image stabilized lens with the reach of the Olympus 70-300mm would be huge.
The E-520’s auto focus is pretty good, although not as good as the Olympus E-3 or Nikon and Canon DSLRs. It only has three focus points, which is sparse compared to other cameras in its class. I pretty much only use the center point, anyway. But people who like to use off-center focus points will wish there were more than three and that they weren’t just in a horizontal line across the middle. I like cameras that have a minimum of five focus points, in a diamond pattern. However, the two side focus points are positioned perfectly for the compositional Rule-Of-Thirds. Canon’s consumer DSLRs have more focus points but the side points aren’t positioned as well as those on the E-520.
Pre-focusing works great with the E-520. It’s quick and accurate and works well even in low light. But continuous focus performance isn’t nearly as good and doesn’t measure up to what I’m used to with other cameras. Occasionally focus would lock up on me when the camera was in continuous AF mode. The lock-up isn’t just an E-520 issue as I experienced the same problem when shooting action with the E-3. Sometimes when I shift from a close subject to a distant one the auto focus system gets lost and can’t focus on anything. To fix it, you have to either manually focus or reframe so that the AF system has something contrasty to focus on. I definitely missed action photos when the auto focus system choked like this and I quickly decided that it was best to just pre-focus with the E-520.
I’ll go into it more in the next part of the review, but there is an image quality compromise if you compare the E-520 to the competition. But it’s a trade I happily make in return for the smaller, lighter, more packable digital SLR. For most purposes and in most conditions the E-520 delivers the quality I need and then some. It’s only in the most difficult lighting that the E-520 image quality really becomes a problem.
Image Quality
Olympus has done a notable job of improving the image quality of the E-520, compared to the E-510. I loved the size of the E-510 but the image quality just wasn’t up to par and occasionally I regretted using it instead of one of my other cameras. The E-520, on the other hand, has rarely let me down in the image quality department. Color is excellent right out of the camera - something I’ve come to expect from Olympus digital SLRs. The smaller Four Thirds sensor does produce more noise than 10-megapixel Canon and Nikon DSLRs. But that doesn’t make it a bad camera. Depending on the subject and the exposure, I think the E-520 is very usable up to ISO 400. The photo of the west side of the Tetons was shot handheld with the Olympus Zuiko 70-300 ED at ISO 400. It’s been pushed pretty hard in post-processing and noise is visible. But I don’t think the noise spoils the photo.
Higher sensitivity settings are also usable in the right circumstances and with adjusted expectations. Above ISO 400, visible noise should be expected. But with a good subject and good exposure, I don’t consider the noise a problem. For landscapes and wedding photos you won’t want to be shooting at ISO 1600. But for an environmental portrait like the one below, I think ISO 1600 works just fine. Olympus digital SLRs get a bad rap because people believe the Four Thirds sensor means poor image quality. This is not the case. The smaller sensor does produce more noise than cameras with larger sensors. But contrary to what the pixel-peepers will try to tell you, more noise doesn’t make it a bad camera. Take a look at the high ISO E-520 images in the gallery and judge them on their own merits, without looking at them through a magnifying glass.
One of the things I like the most about shooting with the E-520 and other Olympus DSLRs is the excellent quality of the Zuiko Digital lenses. Even the least expensive Zuiko Digital lenses are very good and I don’t know that Olympus makes a bad lens. Certainly, there is a difference between the high-end lenses and the 14-42mm kit lens that comes with the E-520. But I don’t have the apprehension with an Olympus kit lens that I might with other camera makers. Olympus makes a big deal about the fact that all of their lenses are designed to be 100% digital. And after shooting with a fair number of them, I think they have a right to brag.
Click on thumbnails to view sample photos.
Note: I shoot almost exclusively RAW and shoot with post-processing in mind. I like to squeeze as much as possible from my image files. RAW conversions and initial adjustments are usually done with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and then final post-processing is done using Photoshop adjustment layers.
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