Olympus FE-4000 vs Olympus E-PM2

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus FE-4000 vs Olympus E-PM2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both produced by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the FE-4000 (12MP) and E-PM2 (16MP) and the FE-4000 (1/2.3") and E-PM2 (Four Thirds) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The FE-4000 was unveiled 4 years before the E-PM2 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the FE-4000 matches up versus the E-PM2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus FE-4000 and Olympus PEN E-PM2. The full galleries are provided at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery and Olympus E-PM2 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus FE-4000 provides physical dimensions 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-PM2 has specifications of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-4000 vs Olympus E-PM2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the FE-4000 compared to the E-PM2.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-4000 and E-PM2 is 95 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to see the difference between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The photograph underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-4000 and E-PM2.

All in all, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FE-4000 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus E-PM2 will offer more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older FE-4000 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.