Olympus FE-4000 vs Sony QX1

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus FE-4000 and Sony QX1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Lens-style by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the FE-4000 (12MP) and QX1 (20MP) and the FE-4000 (1/2.3") and QX1 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

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The FE-4000 was introduced 6 years earlier than the QX1 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera and the Sony QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the FE-4000 scores vs the QX1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-4000 and Sony Alpha QX1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery and Sony QX1 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-4000 comes with external dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Sony QX1 has dimensions of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") along with a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

Compare the Olympus FE-4000 and Sony QX1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the FE-4000 and the QX1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-4000 and QX1 is 95 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing simply by researching specs. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-4000 and QX1.

All in all, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FE-4000 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Sony QX1 will result in more detail using its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older FE-4000 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.