Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic GF5

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus FE-4000 and Panasonic GF5, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the FE-4000 (12MP) and the GF5 (12MP) is very well matched but the FE-4000 (1/2.3") and GF5 (Four Thirds) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The FE-4000 was unveiled 3 years before the GF5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the FE-4000 grades against the GF5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-4000 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery & Panasonic GF5 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-4000 features external measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Panasonic GF5 has dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Olympus FE-4000 and Panasonic GF5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the FE-4000 against the GF5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-4000 and GF5 is 95 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by reading through a spec sheet. The visual below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-4000 and GF5.

As you can see, both cameras have the same megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The FE-4000 has the tinier sensor which will make getting shallow DOF more difficult. The older FE-4000 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.