Handling & ease of use:
Looking near-identical to its predecessor, the E-510, this latest ten-megapixel offering from Olympus sports a curvaceous yet compact body. Despite its small size, the chunky handgrip, with rubberised and textured surface, provides for a very secure hold for small and large hands alike. The camera body has a solid feel to it, so while the price tag is reasonably low, the E-520 doesn't feel cheap at all. The control layout is made up of the chunky exposure mode dial on the top-plate and a number of small buttons scattered on the top and rear of the body. There are a fair few buttons but all are well marked, so regardless of your level of DSLR experience, it shouldn't take too long to find your way around the major functions. All the controls have a positive action, in particular the input dial on the top-plate, which is thicker and more prominent than most and very easy to use even when holding the camera in one hand. The viewfinder is sharp and reasonably bright, but the screen is smaller than most rivals. Exposure details are displayed down the right-side and offers a comprehensive level of information. A deep hood provides good protection from glare, while a small dial allows spectacle wearers to apply dioptric correction.
Of course another option for composing images is to select Live View on the E-520's 2.7in LCD monitor, which provides a bright and crisp image and a wide viewing angle. The on-screen menu is comprehensive and easy to navigate, while the image review facility is excellent, in particular allowing you to view up to 100 thumbnail images on the screen, which means you can quickly find a particular shot.

Features:
The E-520 has much in common with the older E-510 but has a number of new features, which we'll get to shortly. As with all the current E-series models, it offers a ten-megapixel resolution from its Four-Thirds Live MOS sensor.  Its range of features is very impressive and in terms of functions and facilities, it doesn't leave the user wanting for much. It boasts an integral image stabiliser with a choice of settings, the dust reduction system (Supersonic Wave Filter) is activated automatically when you use the on/off switch and the Live View facility has been enhanced with autofocus.
There is a full range of exposure modes and with 49-zone multi-pattern, spot and centre-weighted metering, as well as highlight and shadow control, the exposure system has plenty of options. The autofocus system is a little more basic in comparison, with only three AF points, although when using Live View, it can be set to detect contrast, using 11 points.
The integral flash pops up automatically in certain subject-programs to ensure total fuss-free photography for beginners and has a range of modes available, as well as housing an AF-assist beam (strobe) to aid AF in low light.
An interesting addition is the function (Fn) button on the top-right of the camera's rear, which is customisable for various operations, including depth-of-field preview, test picture or one-touch WB to name a few. The E-520 also offers face detection, where the camera searches for faces in the frame to focus on and take an exposure from. Processing is handled by the TruPic III processor, which allows for sequences of eight Raw files at 3.5fps, as well as the promise of lower noise. Other features include an ISO range of 100-1600, mirror lock-up, wireless flash control, a lithium-ion battery and two card slots, one for XD and the other for CompactFlash. As you can see, it has plenty on offer.

Performance:
One thing that's apparent about the Olympus for general picture taking is that its very quiet. This was particularly useful when shooting candids. However, use slow shutter speeds and you'll have to put up with it whirring away during the exposure. The autofocus system is generally very responsive and locks quickly on to subjects and it performs well in low-light conditions. The 49-zone exposure pattern also did a great job and handled most situations well, including some high-contrast scenes, although as with all multi-zone patterns, strong backlighting caused problems. The metering system is accurate too with exposures taken using the integral flash. Daylight fill-in flash shots are nicely balanced with ambient light and when used as the main source of lighting, it consistently gave good exposures. Images taken with the E-520 on the whole were very good quality. Colours are nicely reproduced to have faithful tones with a touch of saturation to lift them a little. Auto White Balance worked well too, although interiors with tungsten and halogen lights proved problematic. Image sharpness is high, with the 14-42mm standard zoom (equivalent to an 28-84mm in 35mm terms) producing very good results. Image noise levels are better than previous generations, with ISO 100 to 400 delivering no evidence of noise, but once at ISO 800, it starts to become more obvious. The image stabiliser proved competent and certainly allowed for shooting at 2-3 stops slower than you'd normally risk when shooting handheld. The E-520 is an enjoyable camera to use and capable of excellent results.

MODEL DIAL:
The wide choice of modes means there is something to suit all levels of photographer. The on/off switch sits beneath the exposure mode dial, so switching on, choosing a mode and firing the shutter can be done quickly.

FOUR-WAY CONTROL:
This array of buttons is fairly common on DSLRs, including the E-520, as it's a fast and convenient way of selecting important functions, such as metering patterns, White Balance, AF and ISO ratings.

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES:
The Olympus E-520 is 
supplied with: BCM-2 Battery Charger; BLM-1 Lithium-ion battery; USB cable; video cable, strap; eyepiece cover; instruction manual and Olympus Master 2 
software CD-ROM

TEST VERDICT
The Olympus E-520 is a camera that will appeal to a very wide range of photographers. Beginners will like its compact size, light weight and ease of use while more experienced photographers will enjoy getting the most from its many functions and facilities. It's a neat package that offers many features and performs very well. With the addition of more lenses to the range, the Olympus system (along with Sigma) now offers a better choice in the Four-Thirds format. However, the E-520 faces very stiff competition from the likes of Sony's Alpha 200 and 350, the Pentax K200D and of course, models from Canon and Nikon (including the soon-to-arrive EOS 1000D). So Olympus has a tough job ahead to get its E-520 to compete in such a crowded sector of the market, but with its blend of good design and handling, extensive range of features and excellent performance, it's certainly a tempting proposition for the price.

Handling & Ease of use: 22/25
Features: 21/25
Performance: 21/25
Value for money: 22/25
FINAL SCORE: 86/100