Launched in Aug 2008, the Olympus E 520 is very much in line witch what you’d expect from the successor to the E 510. A camera that fits comfortably into Olympus’ entry level or rather mid-range SLR category, it is slightly larger, but then that’s because it has a larger battery that gives you more images per charge. It also has a much better grip, more in line with what you’d expect from a digital SLR. One of the key technical differences between the 510 and 520 is that the 520 has the all new image stabilization feature, which comes hugely appreciated of course.

The E 520 uses a four thirds sensor to capture images at a resolution of 10 mega pixels. Not many people know this, but Olympus is the camera maker that pioneered the concept of Live View on SLRs a few years ago. Of course, the 530 does boast of this feature as well. The E 520 is without doubt a professional’s tool made by a company that has come to be known with photography equipment for a long time now. The metering modes are a pleasure to use on this camera, what with the highlight and shadow area metering possibilities. At the same time the camera also has a number of automatic modes, aimed at the novice of course.

The E 520 has a marginally larger LCD of 2.7 inches, as compared to the 2.5 inch version on the E 510. Not many cameras offer you face detection in the live view mode (not many DSLRs we mean), but the 520 does it with one hand tied behind its back! The camera also has a slightly faster continuous shooting mode at 3.5 frames per second, as compared to the 3 frames per second on the 510. Again, this is not a huge improvement but just enough for you to appreciate it after having used the 510. The 520 also has an additional image stabilization mode for panning photographs. Another key advantage with this camera is the wireless flash trigger capability, which can fire three groups at once. Any studio photographer knows the usefulness of this feature, wherein you can minimize wiring and clutter in your work space.  No doubt this camera is a good buy for the photo enthusiast and the professional as well. It is well-deserving to fit into the shoes of its predecessor the 510, and more. We expect it to do well, especially with users who already have an Olympus system.

Those of you who have been using cameras for a few years now, would know that Olympus makes some of the finest optics to date, including microscope parts, binoculars and of course – digital camera lenses. If you already have an Olympus lens or two, from an older camera body, it would be well worth it to check out the compatibility of those lenses with the E 520. If they work with this dependable camera, you would no doubt have little more to consider before you buy the E 520!