Olympus FE-47 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus FE-47 and Olympus SP-590 UZ, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Olympus. The resolution of the FE-47 (14MP) and the SP-590 UZ (12MP) is fairly close and both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The FE-47 was announced 13 months later than the SP-590 UZ making them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-47 being a Compact camera and the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the FE-47 matches up vs the SP-590 UZ for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-47 & Olympus SP-590 UZ. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-47 Gallery & Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus FE-47 comes with external measurements of 98mm x 61mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 204 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Olympus SP-590 UZ has proportions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus FE-47 and Olympus SP-590 UZ in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the FE-47 and the SP-590 UZ.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FE-47 and SP-590 UZ is 93 and 72 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements purely by looking through a spec sheet. The visual here should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-47 and SP-590 UZ.

Clearly, both the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Olympus FE-47 to render extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The fresher FE-47 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.