Olympus FE-45 vs Olympus E-P5

Following is a in depth review of the Olympus FE-45 and Olympus E-P5, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the FE-45 (10MP) and E-P5 (16MP) and the FE-45 (1/2.3") and E-P5 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FE-45 was released 5 years before the E-P5 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the FE-45 matches up vs the E-P5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus FE-45 & Olympus PEN E-P5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus FE-45 Gallery & Olympus E-P5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus FE-45 comes with exterior measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-P5 has sizing of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs).

Examine the Olympus FE-45 and Olympus E-P5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the FE-45 vs the E-P5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-45 and E-P5 is 95 and 85 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to see the gap between sensor sizes only by reviewing specs. The picture here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-45 and E-P5.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FE-45 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged FE-45 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.