Olympus E-500 vs Olympus FE-4000

Below is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-500 and Olympus FE-4000, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FE-4000 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FE-4000 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was introduced 4 years prior to the FE-4000 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-500 matches up vs the FE-4000 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Olympus FE-4000. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Olympus FE-4000 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 features outer measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Olympus FE-4000 has dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-500 and Olympus FE-4000 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-500 compared to the FE-4000.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and FE-4000 is 70 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading specifications. The visual below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and FE-4000.

To sum up, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-500 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus FE-4000 will offer more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.