Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic S5

In this write-up, we are contrasting the Olympus FE-4000 versus Panasonic S5, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the FE-4000 (12MP) and S5 (24MP) and the FE-4000 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) use different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The FE-4000 was launched 12 years before the S5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the FE-4000 scores against the S5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-4000 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-4000 has outer measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-4000 versus Panasonic S5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the FE-4000 versus the S5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-4000 and S5 is 95 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing simply by looking at a spec sheet. The visual underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-4000 and S5.

Clearly, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FE-4000 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic S5 will give greater detail utilizing its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a little more aggressively. The older FE-4000 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.