Olympus E-420 vs Olympus Stylus 5010: An Enthusiast’s Tale of Two Cameras

When looking back to the late 2000s and early 2010s era of photography gear, two Olympus cameras stand out for completely different reasons - the Olympus E-420, a compact but capable DSLR aimed at beginners wanting system lenses and manual control, and the Olympus Stylus 5010 (mju 5010), a pocket-rocket ultra-compact designed for effortless snapshotting. Having spent countless hours with both models, I’m here to untangle their unique charms, frustrations, and quirks - helping you decide which might find its way into your gear bag (or keep you happily shooting from the pocket).

Let’s dive in with the basics, then work our way through image quality, handling, autofocus, and how these cameras fare across different photography disciplines - from portraiture to wildlife, and beyond.

Size Matters but So Does Feel: Handling and Ergonomics

First impressions always start with how a camera fits in your hands - and how it encourages or discourages creativity.

The Olympus E-420 is a compact SLR but still noticeably larger than the ultra-compact Stylus 5010. It weighs 426 grams and measures about 130mm wide, 91mm high, and 53mm deep. The Stylus 5010, by contrast, is feather-light at 126 grams and barely bulks out beyond 95mm x 56mm x 20mm. The difference in pocketability is stark - E-420 calls for a dedicated space in a camera bag, while the Stylus 5010 slips into a jacket, jeans, or glovebox unnoticed.

What really stands out with the E-420 is its classic DSLR feel: a solid grip, strategically placed dials, and a viewfinder you can genuinely use in bright conditions. For users transitioning from film or entry-level DSLRs, it’s reassuringly tactile. The 5010, well, it’s about convenience: a minimal grip, compact buttons squeezed onto a tiny body, and no viewfinder to speak of - just you and the LCD.

If you prioritize ergonomics and manual control, E-420 takes the crown. For discreet travel or quick snaps, the Stylus 5010’s pocketability is unbeatable.

Top-Down: Control Layout and Customization

Handling isn’t just size - it’s also the interface and how intuitively you can shift settings mid-shoot.

The E-420 offers the expected DSLR control palette: mode dial, exposure compensation wheel, dedicated buttons for ISO, white balance, and a built-in flash with hot shoe accessory options. Navigation through the menu system and shooting settings is straightforward, though the screen - small by today’s standards - is fixed and not touch-enabled.

Meanwhile, the Stylus 5010 opts for simplicity. A handful of buttons - power, shutter, zoom rocker, and a modest menu system designed for minimal user fuss. No manual exposure modes here, and the absence of a viewfinder means you’re framing solely on the LCD.

If you’re someone who loves tweaking every exposure parameter or desires external flash control, the E-420’s button layout and top-panel design answer your call. For casual shooters prioritizing comfort over customization, the 5010’s design prevents you from obsessing over settings you won’t find.

Under the Hood: Sensor Technology and Image Quality

At the heart of every camera lies the sensor, shaping image quality and creative flexibility. Here’s where these two Olympus models dramatically diverge.

The Olympus E-420 sports a Four Thirds sized 10MP CMOS sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm, coupled with Olympus’s TruePic III processor. This sensor size equates roughly to a 2.1x crop factor, which is standard for Four Thirds DSLRs from this era. Its 10-megapixel resolution is modest today but was solid for 2008. Judging by DxOMark’s scores, it offers a respectable 10.4 stops of dynamic range and a color depth of 21.5 bits, providing vibrant and nuanced image output especially beneficial for landscape and portrait work. The low-light ISO performance maxes out at 1600 native, with usable results - grain is controlled and colors remain faithful up to mid-ISO steps.

On the other side, the Stylus 5010 uses a much smaller 1/2.3" CCD sensor (6.08 x 4.56 mm) with 14MP resolution. Smaller sensors inherently struggle with noise and dynamic range, and unfortunately, DxOMark did not test this model, but typical of compact cameras from this time, expect lower dynamic range, especially in challenging light. The maximum ISO is 3200, but noise becomes a limiting factor past ISO 400 or 800. Additionally, the CCD sensor tends to have a distinct color signature - vivid but less true in skin tones compared to the E-420’s CMOS.

In practical terms, this means the E-420 will give you crisper detail, more forgiving highlights and shadows, and much better control over image aesthetics in raw processing. The 5010 is more about convenience snapshots, trade-offs accepted for compactness.

Seeing It for Real: The LCD and Viewfinder Experience

To compose and review images, display systems matter, far beyond the raw sensor specs.

The E-420 sports a 2.7-inch fixed LCD with 230,000 pixels - a low resolution by today’s retina-display standards, yet functional for framing and quick image checks. The optical pentamirror viewfinder provides roughly 95% field coverage, with 0.46x magnification. While not stellar compared to professional DSLRs, it offers reliability in bright daylight - something an LCD alone can’t accomplish.

Conversely, the Stylus 5010 lacks any viewfinder, pushing all composition duties to its similar-sized 2.7-inch, 230k LCD. This makes outdoor shooting challenging, especially under direct sunlight. The screen is fixed, non-touch, and while serviceable, it lacks any real customization or preview assistance.

If you prize manual framing accuracy or shoot in diverse lighting conditions, the E-420’s optical viewfinder remains a decisive advantage. But for quick grab-and-go shots indoors or shaded areas, the Stylus’s LCD suffices.

Autofocus and Speed: Tracking Your Subjects

For anyone shooting active scenes - whether a running kid or a fluttering bird - the autofocus system’s performance can make or break the experience.

The Olympus E-420 features a hybrid autofocus system combining phase-detection with contrast detection, supporting 3 focus points (albeit basic by today’s multi-point standards). It offers single AF, continuous AF, and live view contrast AF modes. While by modern standards it’s rather pedestrian - no face detection or animal eye autofocus - it holds its own for controlled portrait sessions or still subjects. Continuous shooting peaks at 4 frames per second (fps), decent but not blisteringly fast.

The Stylus 5010, reflecting its casual design, employs a contrast-detection-only AF system with multi-area focus but no phase detection. It offers single AF and AF tracking but no continuous AF mode. It shoots just 1 fps in continuous burst, a clear limitation for action or wildlife photography.

To sum up, if your photography involves moving subjects - sports, wildlife, fast kids - the E-420 has the edge in both speed and focus reliability, though compared to contemporary cameras it is dated. The 5010 is better suited for static snapshots than capturing fast-moving action.

Let’s Talk Glass: Lens Ecosystem and Options

One of the key advantages of owning a DSLR like the E-420 is the ability to swap lenses to fit the occasion. The Olympus E-420 uses the Four Thirds mount, supporting around 45 lenses from Olympus and third parties, spanning wide-angle primes, telephotos, macro, and professional-grade zooms. This ecosystem enables you to grow your skills and experiment without buying a whole new camera.

Olympus E 420 screen back Olympus 5010 front Olympus 5010 screen back

In contrast, the Stylus 5010’s fixed 26-130mm equivalent f/2.8-6.5 zoom lens is convenient but limits creative control. For macro enthusiasts, it focuses down to 7cm, allowing decent close-ups, but optical quality and aperture limitations restrict artistic bokeh and low-light performance.

For photographers who want system flexibility and intend to invest in lenses gradually, the E-420 is the clear winner. For casual users content with a one-size-fits-all approach, the Stylus offers enough versatility without gear swaps.

How Do They Handle Different Photography Genres?

Breaking down each camera’s practical strengths and weaknesses across popular photography styles helps clarify their ideal users.

Portrait Photography

• E-420: Richer skin tone rendition thanks to Four Thirds sensor and TruePic III processing. Manual focus and aperture control enable smooth backgrounds (bokeh) with prime lenses. Eye detection autofocus is absent but the DSLR’s manual tools compensate.
• 5010: Difficult to isolate subject due to small sensor and slow lens; less flattering skin tones; no manual aperture or focus modes.

Landscape Photography

• E-420: Superior dynamic range captures shadow and highlight detail. Compatibility with wide-angle lenses and solid weather sealing on some lenses (not body) aid outdoor shooting.
• 5010: Limited by small sensor dynamic range and lens sharpness; no weather sealing.

Wildlife Photography

• E-420: Modest AF tabulated by 3 focus points - not ideal but workable with telephotos; 4 fps burst enables basic tracking.
• 5010: Low burst rate and slow AF undermine usability for moving wildlife.

Sports Photography

• E-420: Reasonable frame rate and manual exposure modes let skilled shooters freeze action in good light.
• 5010: Not suitable, given low burst speed and small sensor limits.

Street Photography

• E-420: Slightly bulky and noisier shutter can call attention, viewfinder helps quick composition.
• 5010: Compact, discreet, silent operation favors candid moments.

Macro Photography

• E-420: Ability to mount dedicated macro lenses delivers superior magnification and focusing precision.
• 5010: Limited to 7cm focus at best, smaller sensor restricts detail.

Night/Astro Photography

• E-420: Low native ISO ceiling and sensor noise constrain astrophotography, but manual exposure and raw formats allow some flexibility.
• 5010: Small sensor struggles here; no manual modes.

Video Capabilities

• E-420: No video recording available.
• 5010: Records 720p HD video (1280x720) at 30fps with Motion JPEG codec, modest but functional for casual use. No external mic port.

Travel Photography

• E-420: Bulkier but versatile; 500-shot battery life is generous.
• 5010: Extremely pocketable, lightweight, quick startup - ideal grab-and-go travel companion.

Professional Work

• E-420: Limited by sensor resolution and autofocus sophistication, but raw support and lens options open avenues for semi-professional shoots.
• 5010: Not viable for professional workflows.

Toughness and Build Quality: Longevity in the Field

Neither Olympus E-420 nor Stylus 5010 are weather-sealed, ruggedized, or designed to survive extreme conditions. The E-420’s DSLR body feels more robust and capable of withstanding regular use, but both cameras require careful handling.

Battery Life and Storage

The E-420 uses a rechargeable battery pack claiming around 500 shots per charge - a plus for day-long shoots. It stores images on Compact Flash (CF) or xD Picture cards.

The Stylus 5010 uses a lithium-ion Li-50B battery, with no official shot count published, but compact cameras of its era generally offer 200-300 shots per charge. It stores on SDHC cards or internal memory.

Connectivity and Extras

Neither camera offers wireless features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS - typical for their generation. The E-420 is limited to USB 2.0 for data transfer, no HDMI output; the 5010, however, features HDMI for easy playback on TVs - a convenience for casual users.

Price-to-Performance: What Does Your Dollar Buy?

At launch, the E-420 commanded roughly $999 (body only), positioning it as a serious entry-level DSLR. The Stylus 5010 was priced around $150, making it an ultra-affordable point-and-shoot.

Given their age, prices in the used market will vary widely, but it remains true that the E-420 offers more bang for your buck if you prioritize image quality and system flexibility. The 5010’s value lies in very casual users needing a straightforward, portable option without lens fuss or manual fiddling.

Summing It Up: Who Should Pick Which?

To help make this less of a head-scratcher, here’s an overview of which camera I’d recommend for various photography types:

The Final Grades: Objective Performance Scores

With measured data and personal testing combined, here’s an overall snapshot of their strengths.

While the E-420 does not rival modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, it offers an all-around solid package for the era’s entry-level DSLR market. The Stylus 5010’s strength is in portability and convenience, with image quality that understandably falls short.

Wrapping Up: Personal Experience and Testing Insights

Testing these cameras over years, I’ve often found the E-420 to be a forgiving, capable companion for creatives who want to learn and control exposure. Its sensor’s dynamic range and color depth, combined with the ability to shoot raw and swap lenses, make it still enjoyable to use despite its age.

The Stylus 5010 is a perfect example of a camera designed not to get in the way - instead, it remains ready to capture fleeting moments without fuss. It shines for families, travelers, or anyone wanting “point and shoot” simplicity with decent image quality and light video capability.

If you’re starting to explore the DSLR world with budget in mind, the E-420 is an excellent vintage piece, particularly if you find it bundled with lenses. For those who prioritize ultra-portability, or an entry-level HD video function in a pocket-sized camera, the 5010 remains a valid choice.

Before You Go: A Few Notes on Alternatives

Given the technological leaps since these cameras were released, consider modern budget mirrorless alternatives if your budget stretches. Cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV or Panasonic Lumix GX85 offer much better sensors, autofocus, video, and connectivity, while maintaining compact form factors and lens ecosystems. But for those who want to explore legacy gear or prefer simplicity with a touch of vintage charm, our two Olympus contenders still hold their ground.

Thanks for reading! I hope this detailed, first-hand comparison helps you decide which Olympus legend suits your style - and reminds you why every camera, old or new, has a story worth telling.

The End!