Olympus FE-45 vs Sony A290

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus FE-45 and Sony A290, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the FE-45 (10MP) and A290 (14MP) and the FE-45 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The FE-45 was revealed 17 months before the A290 making them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summation of how the FE-45 grades against the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-45 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-45 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-45 enjoys external measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Sony A290 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus FE-45 and Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the FE-45 compared to the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-45 and A290 is 95 and 66 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions just by looking at specs. The pic here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-45 and A290.

All in all, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FE-45 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A290 will give extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images more aggressively. The more aged FE-45 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.