Olympus FE-3010 vs Sony NEX-5

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus FE-3010 versus Sony NEX-5, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FE-3010 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively similar but the FE-3010 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The FE-3010 was introduced 17 months earlier than the NEX-5 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-3010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a quick overview of how the FE-3010 matches up versus the NEX-5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-3010 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-3010 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-3010 enjoys outer measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 108 grams (0.24 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-3010 versus Sony NEX-5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the FE-3010 vs the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FE-3010 and NEX-5 is 97 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes purely by going over a spec sheet. The picture below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-3010 and NEX-5.

Clearly, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FE-3010 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5 will offer extra detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FE-3010 is going to be behind in sensor technology.