Olympus FE-3010 vs Pentax X-5

The following is a thorough review of the Olympus FE-3010 versus Pentax X-5, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the FE-3010 (12MP) and X-5 (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The FE-3010 was brought out 4 years earlier than the X-5 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-3010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax X-5 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick summation of how the FE-3010 matches up against the X-5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-3010 and Pentax X-5. The entire galleries are available at Olympus FE-3010 Gallery and Pentax X-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-3010 comes with external measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 108 grams (0.24 lbs) whilst the Pentax X-5 has measurements of 119mm x 86mm x 107mm (4.7" x 3.4" x 4.2") and a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-3010 versus Pentax X-5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the FE-3010 against the X-5.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the FE-3010 and X-5 is 97 and 65 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions only by looking at a spec sheet. The image below may give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-3010 and X-5.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You should anticipate the Pentax X-5 to give more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos more aggressively. The more aged FE-3010 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.