Olympus E-5 vs Olympus 5010

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-5 and Olympus 5010, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact and both are manufactured by Olympus. The resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the 5010 (14MP) is relatively similar but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and 5010 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-5 was released 14 months later than the 5010 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-5 scores against the 5010 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-5 & Olympus Stylus 5010. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Olympus 5010 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 comes with exterior dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Olympus 5010 has measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-5 and Olympus 5010 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-5 compared to the 5010.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and 5010 is 58 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by going over a spec sheet. The visual below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and 5010.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-5 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus 5010 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The younger E-5 is going to have a benefit in sensor technology.