Olympus FE-45 vs Olympus E-PL5

The following is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus FE-45 and Olympus E-PL5, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are designed by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the FE-45 (10MP) and E-PL5 (16MP) and the FE-45 (1/2.3") and E-PL5 (Four Thirds) possess different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FE-45 was released 4 years prior to the E-PL5 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a concise overview of how the FE-45 scores versus the E-PL5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-45 and Olympus PEN E-PL5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus FE-45 Gallery and Olympus E-PL5 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-45 comes with outside 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) while the Olympus E-PL5 has dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Examine the Olympus FE-45 and Olympus E-PL5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the FE-45 compared to the E-PL5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-45 and E-PL5 is 95 and 88 respectively.

Generally, its hard to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions purely by researching a spec sheet. The image underneath will help give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-45 and E-PL5.

Clearly, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FE-45 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will render more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged FE-45 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.