Olympus E-500 vs Olympus FE-45

Here is a extensive review of the Olympus E-500 versus Olympus FE-45, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are sold by Olympus. The resolution of the E-500 (8MP) and the FE-45 (10MP) is pretty close but the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FE-45 (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

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The E-500 was revealed 4 years prior to the FE-45 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-500 matches up vs the FE-45 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 & Olympus FE-45. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Olympus FE-45 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 has physical measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Olympus FE-45 has specifications of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-500 versus Olympus FE-45 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-500 and the FE-45.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and FE-45 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by researching a spec sheet. The photograph below should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and FE-45.

As you can see, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Olympus FE-45 will render more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.