Olympus E-5 vs Olympus FE-4000: A Deep Dive into Two Very Different Cameras

Choosing the right camera can be daunting, especially when options span from advanced DSLRs to small sensor compacts. Today, we’re comparing two Olympus models that sit on opposite ends of the spectrum: the Olympus E-5, a professional-grade advanced DSLR from 2011, and the Olympus FE-4000, a budget-friendly compact from 2009. Despite their shared brand, these cameras are designed for fundamentally different users and use cases.

We’ll explore their specifications, real-world performance, and suitability across photography genres. This comparison aims to give you an expert perspective that goes beyond specs - because the ideal camera is the one that fits your workflow, style, and creative goals. Let’s get started.

Size and Handling: Bulk vs. Pocketable

One of the most immediate differences between these two cameras is their physical presence and ergonomics.

• Olympus E-5 measures roughly 143 x 117 x 75 mm and weighs about 800 grams.
• Olympus FE-4000 is much smaller at 95 x 57 x 22 mm and weighs just 136 grams.

This size difference heavily influences usability:

• The E-5, with its solid, mid-sized DSLR body, excels in handling comfort, especially for long shoots or when using larger lenses. Its grip is engineered for stable one-handed use. Weather sealing ensures you can confidently shoot outdoors in uncertain conditions.
• The FE-4000, compact and lightweight, fits easily in a pocket or purse, making it ultra-portable for casual or travel photography. However, its small body means less room for physical controls and a less ergonomic grip.

If you prioritize handling and durability for professional or serious enthusiast use, the E-5 leads. For grab-and-go simplicity, the FE-4000 is an easy companion.

Design and Controls: Intuitive Operation or Point-and-Shoot Convenience?

How you interact with your camera affects your shooting efficiency. The E-5 offers a range of physical controls, while the FE-4000 adopts a minimalist approach.

Olympus E-5 Features:

• Traditional DSLR layout with a top status LCD and dedicated buttons/dials for ISO, exposure modes (shutter, aperture priority), and exposure compensation.
• Fully articulated 3" HyperCrystal transmissive LCD with 920k-dot resolution for flexible viewing angles. Ideal for overhead or low-angle shots.
• Optical pentaprism viewfinder with 100% frame coverage and 0.58x magnification.
• Dual card slots supporting Compact Flash and SD cards, facilitating backup and extended shooting.

Olympus FE-4000 Features:

• No viewfinder; relies entirely on a fixed 2.7" LCD with 230k-dot resolution.
• Limited physical controls reflect its compact nature; primarily menu-driven via rear buttons.
• Does not support manual exposure or focus adjustments, aiming for simplicity.
• Single slot for xD Picture Card, microSD, or internal memory.

From a usability perspective:

• The E-5 empowers creative control, with manual exposure modes, custom white balance, and live view autofocus.
• The FE-4000 simplifies photography to its essentials; ideal for point-and-shoot scenarios or beginners not ready to manage complex settings.

If you enjoy direct control over all shooting parameters, the E-5 is your tool. If ease-of-use and quick shots matter most, the FE-4000 shines.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera

The sensor largely dictates image sharpness, dynamic range, and low-light capability.

What does this mean?

• The E-5’s Four Thirds CMOS sensor has more than eight times the surface area of the FE-4000’s small CCD sensor. Larger sensors capture more light, deliver better dynamic range, and achieve cleaner high-ISO images.
• Both cameras offer similar megapixel counts, but sensor size dramatically affects image quality, especially in challenging lighting.
• The E-5 supports native ISO 100-6400, facilitating low-light versatility. FE-4000 tops out at ISO 1600, which can introduce noise quickly.
• The E-5 benefits from the TruePic V+ processor, enabling better noise reduction and color fidelity. The FE-4000 utilizes the older TruePic III generation.
• Both have anti-alias filters that help prevent moiré but may slightly soften images.

From real-world testing, the E-5 produces sharper, more detailed photos with richer colors and less noise, especially noticeable in shadows and highlights. The FE-4000 is limited by its sensor and processing, resulting in softer images with more visible noise at higher ISOs.

Autofocus: Precision and Speed Matter

Reliable autofocus (AF) can make or break fast-paced photography like sports or wildlife.

The E-5’s hybrid AF system includes phase-detection for fast and accurate focusing, especially useful when tracking moving subjects. It also provides face detection and continuous AF modes.

The FE-4000 relies solely on contrast-detection AF, which is slower and less effective for moving subjects or low-light situations. It lacks face detection, which limits its portrait utility.

In practice:

• The E-5 excels at wildlife and sports photography, delivering consistent autofocus acquisition with predictive tracking.
• The FE-4000 is suited for still subjects or casual snapshots, where fast AF is less critical.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Performance

Photographers capturing action or wildlife need good frame rates.

The E-5’s 5 fps burst rate allows you to capture fast sequences with excellent image quality at full resolution. Its shutter speeds up to 1/8000 sec enable freezing very rapid motion and shooting with wide apertures in bright conditions.

The FE-4000’s max shutter speed is 1/2000 sec, limiting its ability to freeze extremely fast action or shoot at wide apertures under bright light.

For sports and wildlife photographers, the E-5 offers significant advantages.

Lens Ecosystem: Flexibility vs. Convenience

The lens system shapes what kinds of images you can create.

The E-5’s Micro Four Thirds mount opens a vast ecosystem of lenses, including prime, zoom, macro, telephoto, and specialty optics. This flexibility is invaluable for portrait, landscape, macro, and wildlife specialists seeking creative control.

The FE-4000’s fixed lens covers a 4x optical zoom, equivalent to 26-105mm in 35mm terms, making it a versatile everyday zoom but lacking adaptability.

If you want creative versatility and high-quality glass, the E-5 is unmatched. The FE-4000 trades flexibility for compact convenience.

Build Quality and Durability: Weather Sealing Matters

• The E-5 is weather sealed, built to resist dust and moisture - a feature critical for outdoor and adventure photography.
• The FE-4000 has a plastic compact body, with no environmental sealing.

Weather sealing contributes to the long-term reliability and ruggedness of a camera - features expected in professional gear.

Video Capabilities: Basic vs. Entry-Level

While neither camera focuses heavily on video, the E-5 can record HD video with external mic support, offering slightly better quality for vloggers or multimedia creators.

The FE-4000’s video is limited to SD resolution, mostly suitable for casual, short clips.

Battery Life and Storage: Extended Shooting vs Basic Needs

• The E-5 uses Olympus’ BLM-5 battery and delivers around 870 shots per charge, which is excellent for DSLRs of its generation.
• The FE-4000’s battery life information is unspecified, but compact cameras generally offer more modest endurance.

Storage-wise:

• The E-5 supports dual card slots (CF and SD/SDHC/SDXC), offering flexibility, redundancy, and extended capacity.
• The FE-4000 uses a single slot compatible with xD or microSD cards.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

Neither camera offers modern wireless features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC. The E-5 has USB 2.0 and HDMI output, allowing tethered shooting and external monitor use.

The FE-4000 only supports USB 2.0 and lacks HDMI.

Real-World Photography: Strengths and Use Cases

Let’s review how these cameras perform across key disciplines.

Portrait Photography

• E-5: Rich color reproduction, skin-tone accuracy, and pleasing bokeh from fast prime or telephoto lenses. Face detection and live view AF assist eye-focused portraits.
• FE-4000: Limited aperture range and no face detection impede creative portraits. Suffices for casual snapshots but not professional headshots.

Landscape Photography

• E-5: Superior dynamic range and higher image quality excellent for landscapes. Weather sealing allows shooting in tough environments.
• FE-4000: Small sensor limits tonal gradation; fixed lens zoom may restrict composition.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

• E-5: Fast autofocus and burst shooting make it capable of action photography. Lens versatility allows long telephoto support.
• FE-4000: Slow AF and limited zoom limit usefulness for fast or distant subjects.

Street Photography

• FE-4000: Benefits from discretion and portability in urban scenes.
• E-5: Bulkier but delivers higher quality and manual control.

Macro Photography

• E-5: Supports macro lenses and fine manual focus.
• FE-4000: Macro focus down to 3cm but limited by fixed lens and lack of focus control.

Night and Astrophotography

• E-5: Larger sensor and higher max ISO enable cleaner night shots and long exposures.
• FE-4000: Limited ISO and heavier noise restrict nighttime use.

Video Production

• Both cameras are entry-level at best, though the E-5’s HD video and mic input add value.

Travel Photography

• FE-4000: Lightweight and compact for travel convenience.
• E-5: More versatile and durable but heavier; needs extra lenses.

Professional Workflows

• E-5 supports RAW formats, tethering, and robust file formats, ideal for demanding workflows.
• FE-4000 does not support RAW, limiting post-processing flexibility.

Olympus E 5 front Olympus E 5 screen back Olympus FE 4000 front Olympus FE 4000 screen back

You can clearly observe the sharpness and color vibrancy from the E-5’s larger sensor and optics, compared to the more muted and noisier images from the FE-4000.

Overall Performance Ratings

Based on DxO and hands-on evaluations:

The E-5 ranks well for its sensor size and era, providing performance suitable for professional use.

Performance by Photography Type

• Portrait, landscape, wildlife, sports: E-5 leads significantly.
• Street, travel, casual use: FE-4000 may suffice due to size and simplicity.

Final Verdict: Which Olympus Camera Should You Choose?

Choose the Olympus E-5 if:

• You want professional-level image quality with a larger Four Thirds sensor.
• You need full manual control, fast accurate autofocus, and a broad lens selection.
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, wildlife, or sports professionally or seriously.
• You require weather sealing and robust handling.
• You’re ready to carry and invest in extra lenses and accessories.

Choose the Olympus FE-4000 if:

• You want a compact, lightweight camera for casual photography or travel.
• You prioritize ease of use, point-and-shoot convenience, and price.
• You shoot mostly daylight scenes and snapshots without manual control.
• Your budget is very limited (under $150).
• You want a simple camera to get started without extensive learning.

Getting the Most from Your Olympus Camera

No matter which model you choose, here are expert tips:

• For the E-5: Invest in high-quality lenses, learn manual settings, and explore RAW post-processing. Use dual card slots to safeguard your files. Explore accessories like remote triggers and external flashes.
• For the FE-4000: Learn to compose carefully since zoom range and controls are fixed. Shoot in good light for best results, and experiment with digital filters for creativity.

Wrapping Up

The Olympus E-5 and FE-4000 showcase how different cameras serve vastly different creative goals. The E-5 is a mature professional DSLR platform with a system designed to empower photographers to craft high-quality, versatile images. The FE-4000 offers beginner-friendly portability and simplicity, suitable for everyday snapping.

We encourage you to consider your needs: Is image quality, manual control, and system flexibility essential? Or is compactness, convenience, and affordability top priority? If possible, test both cameras in person, try their menus, hold them, and examine output files to see which fits your style.

Whichever Olympus you pick, these cameras represent stepping stones in your photography journey. Embrace the learning, enjoy the process, and keep shooting!

Ready to dive deeper? Check out Olympus’s lens lineup, explore post-processing software to leverage RAW files (if available), and join enthusiast communities for inspiration and support.