Canon XSi vs Olympus E-520

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Canon XSi vs Olympus E-520

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APS-C 328.6mm²
12.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 1600

Go in depth with our full Canon XSi Review.
See real-world photos taken with the XSi.

4/3 224.9mm²
10.0 megapixels
ISO 100 - 1600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-520 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-520.

Succeeded by the Canon T1i
Compare XSi vs T1i
Compare Canon T1i vs Olympus E-520

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Differences

Canon XSi advantages over Olympus E-520

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 1.4 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
XSi test data on DxO Mark E-520 test data on DxO Mark

692 vs 548 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More viewfinder magnification
0.54x vs 0.46x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
12.2 vs 10.0 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
More AF points
9 vs 3
More AF points improve autofocus
Bigger JPEG buffer
53 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Olympus E-520 advantages over Canon XSi

Less expensive
$700 vs $900 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

650 vs 500 shots
Capture more photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Neither provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Pentaprism viewfinder
Neither provide
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
HDMI out
Neither provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

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Review Excerpt

Read our Canon XSi Full Review

Read our Olympus E-520 Full Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D60

Canon XSi

Nikon D60

$649
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Less shutter lag

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XSi vs Nikon D60

Olympus E-520

Nikon D60

$700
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Longer stills battery life

$700
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-520 vs Nikon D60

Compared to Pentax K2000

Canon XSi

Pentax K2000

$649
APS-C

More pixels
More AF points

$556
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Canon XSi vs Pentax K2000

Olympus E-520

Pentax K2000

$700
4/3

Longer exposure
Faster JPEG shooting

$556
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K2000

Compared to Olympus E-620

Canon XSi

Olympus E-620

$649
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$800
4/3

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Tiltable Screen

Compare Canon XSi vs Olympus E-620

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-620

$700
4/3

Longer stills battery life
Less shutter lag

$800
4/3

Tiltable Screen
More cross-type AF points

Compare Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-620

Compared to Canon T1i

Canon XSi

Canon T1i

$649
APS-C

Longer stills battery life

$900
APS-C

Fast startup
HDMI out

Compare Canon XSi vs Canon T1i

Olympus E-520

Canon T1i

$700
4/3

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$900
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-520 vs Canon T1i

Compared to Olympus E-600

Canon XSi

Olympus E-600

$649
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$600
4/3

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon XSi vs Olympus E-600

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-600

$700
4/3

Longer stills battery life

$600
4/3

Less expensive
Tiltable Screen

Compare Olympus E-520 vs Olympus E-600

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