Olympus E-500 vs Olympus FE-5010

Here, we are comparing the Olympus E-500 vs Olympus FE-5010, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both offered by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FE-5010 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FE-5010 (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was announced 4 years prior to the FE-5010 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-500 grades against the FE-5010 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Olympus FE-5010. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Olympus FE-5010 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-500 comes with exterior dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Olympus FE-5010 has proportions of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 vs Olympus FE-5010 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the E-500 and the FE-5010.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and FE-5010 is 70 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor dimensions purely by checking specs. The picture underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and FE-5010.

All in all, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus FE-5010 will give you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.