Olympus FE-4000 vs Olympus E-P3

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus FE-4000 and Olympus E-P3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are created by Olympus. The resolution of the FE-4000 (12MP) and the E-P3 (12MP) is very well matched but the FE-4000 (1/2.3") and E-P3 (Four Thirds) offer different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The FE-4000 was released 3 years earlier than the E-P3 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the FE-4000 grades against the E-P3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-4000 & Olympus PEN E-P3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery & Olympus E-P3 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera often, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-4000 enjoys physical measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Olympus E-P3 has dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus FE-4000 and Olympus E-P3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the FE-4000 and the E-P3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-4000 and E-P3 is 95 and 86 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by looking at a spec sheet. The visual below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-4000 and E-P3.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have the same megapixel count but different sensor measurements. The FE-4000 uses the tinier sensor which will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult. The older FE-4000 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.