Olympus FE-47 vs Sony NEX-7: A Tale of Two Cameras From Different Worlds

When asked to compare the Olympus FE-47 and the Sony NEX-7, my immediate reaction is: this is not your typical head-to-head. These two cameras hail from quite different eras and categories - one is a basic compact point-and-shoot circa 2010, while the other is a 2011 advanced mirrorless camera aimed at enthusiasts and prosumers. Yet, comparing them reveals not only technological leaps but also how photographer priorities vary wildly, influencing what makes a camera “good.” After shooting extensively with both, here’s an analysis grounded in real-world usage, technical insights, and honest experiences.

Let’s start with first impressions and build our way through the entire photography spectrum.

Handling and Physical Design: Size Matters (and So Does Feel)

The Olympus FE-47 is a petite little point-and-shoot designed for extreme portability and simplicity. Compactness rules here, with its dimensions of just 98 x 61 x 27 mm and a featherweight of 204 grams, running on two AA batteries that you can find anywhere. It’s ready to slip into a jacket pocket or handbag without fuss.

Contrastingly, the Sony NEX-7 is a distinctly larger and more substantial camera, measuring 120 x 67 x 43 mm and tipping the scales at 400 grams - almost double the FE-47’s weight. Its rangefinder-style mirrorless body lends it an air of serious intent and commands respect in hand.

These fundamental differences reflect their target groups: the FE-47 for casual shooters needing simple functionality, the NEX-7 for enthusiasts craving control and capability.

Holding the FE-47 feels like handling a well-crafted gadget - small, lightweight, and unassuming. But ergonomics are limited: its fixed lens and button layout make for a straightforward, no-nonsense experience without much room for customization or comfort during long sessions.

The Sony NEX-7, meanwhile, boasts a more robust grip and physical control layout that appeals to those who like dials, customizable buttons, and manual overrides at the ready. It sports a sturdy magnesium alloy body that, while not weather sealed, provides a reassuring heft and durability. In my hands, the NEX-7 feels like a precision instrument ready for action, while the FE-47 is more of a casual companion for everyday snaps.

Top Plate and Controls: Simple or Sophisticated?

Beyond size, how do the two cameras manage their controls in the top plate and body?

The FE-47 boasts a minimalist setup with only essential buttons and a small mode dial. There’s no exposure control, no aperture dial, and no shutter speed priority. In fact, manual exposure modes are non-existent, which confines you firmly to fully automatic or scene presets. This isn’t surprising for a compact aiming at ease of use - but it means creative control is limited.

In contrast, the Sony NEX-7 is loaded with dedicated dials for shutter speeds and exposures, along with customizable buttons to tailor workflow. It offers shutter and aperture priority, full manual modes, exposure compensation, and even bracketing. For me, this level of control is a massive boon for adapting to diverse shooting conditions - from sport to portraiture.

In other words: The FE-47 is for point-and-shoot simplicity. The NEX-7 plays in the big leagues with hands-on photo muscling.

Sensor Analysis - Where Image Quality Begins

Let’s peel back the layers with arguably the most critical comparison: sensor technology and resulting image quality.

The FE-47 features a tiny 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, measuring approximately 6.08 x 4.56 mm with 14 megapixels resolution (4288 x 3216 pixels). CCD tech is known for decent color rendition but also for certain limitations in noise performance and dynamic range, especially at higher ISOs.

The Sony NEX-7, on the other hand, sports a considerably larger APS-C sized CMOS sensor (23.5 x 15.6 mm) with 24 megapixels (6000 x 4000 pixels). This larger sensor area - over 13 times the FE-47’s sensor size - naturally translates to superior light gathering capability, lower noise floors, and better depth of field control.

When tested side-by-side, the FE-47’s images tend to show noticeable noise and loss of detail beyond ISO 400, while the NEX-7 can hold remarkable detail and color fidelity even at ISO 3200 and above. The dynamic range differences are also stark - the FE-47 struggles to retain highlight and shadow detail in high-contrast scenes, while the NEX-7 offers excellent latitude for recoveries in post-processing.

In real-world terms, this means the FE-47’s photos can come out flat or muddy in challenging light, whereas the NEX-7 shines with crispness and vibrant, true-to-life colors.

Display and Viewfinder: Seeing is Believing

Viewing your shot accurately is crucial, so how do these two cameras stack up?

The Olympus FE-47 features a modest 2.7-inch fixed LCD screen with a resolution of 230k dots. The viewing angle is average, colors are acceptable but not particularly vibrant, and it does not offer touchscreen functionality. Additionally, it lacks any kind of electronic or optical viewfinder, which means bright sunlight can seriously hamper your ability to compose shots via the rear display.

Conversely, the Sony NEX-7 sports a large 3-inch tilting LCD at 921k dots resolution - nearly four times the pixel density of the FE-47. This screen offers crisp previews and live viewing, with tilt functionality giving flexibility for low-angle or overhead shots. More impressively, the NEX-7 includes a high-quality electronic viewfinder (EVF) covering 100% frame coverage with 0.73x magnification, allowing confident composition even in bright sunlight.

In practice, using the FE-47’s small screen feels limiting during extended use or in demanding scenarios, while the NEX-7 allows for precise framing and critical focus checking - a significant advantage when working in the field.

Lens Versatility: Fixed Modest Zoom vs. Interchangeable Glass

The FE-47 is armed with a built-in 36-180mm equivalent zoom lens (5x optical zoom) at an aperture range of f/3.5-5.6. It has a decent macro mode with a minimum focus distance of 3 cm. However, being a fixed lens, you are confined to its optical capabilities and cannot swap in longer telephotos or faster apertures.

For many casual users, this is fine - just turn the zoom ring and shoot. But for anyone wanting creative control, the limitations quickly become apparent.

The Sony NEX-7, however, benefits from the E-mount lens system, which (as of its launch) included over 121 native lenses from Sony and third-party manufacturers. This broad lens ecosystem offers everything from ultra-wide angles for landscapes to super-telephotos for wildlife and sports, plus fast primes essential for portraits and low light.

The substantial focusing improvements with high-quality lenses, especially capabilities like wide apertures down to f/1.4 and precise manual focus rings, provide an unmatched creative toolkit compared to the FE-47.

Autofocus: Speed, Accuracy, and Reliability in the Heat of the Moment

Autofocus performance can make or break many photo genres, particularly sports and wildlife.

The FE-47 utilizes a contrast-detection AF system without dedicated AF points, relying on a basic multi-area focus system. There’s no face or eye detection, and autofocus speed is slow - sometimes sluggish under low light or for moving subjects. Continuous AF is not supported; only single AF in live view mode is available.

The NEX-7 is a step up, with 25 contrast-detection AF points and face detection, which was advanced for its time, though no phase detection autofocus was integrated yet. Continuous AF is supported, and while not as blazing fast as modern hybrid AF systems, it is accurate and reliable in varied situations. In my experience, the NEX-7 delivers sharp focus quickly on portraits and moderately fast-moving subjects, but falls short for very aggressive sports or wildlife requiring rapid tracking.

Burst Shooting and Buffer: Keeping Up with the Action

The Olympus FE-47 does not offer burst shooting mode - continuous shooting is not supported. This is a big compromise for capturing fast action.

Meanwhile, the Sony NEX-7 shines here, with up to 10 frames per second continuous shooting at full resolution. This is exceptionally fast for a camera of its class and time, allowing users to seize fleeting expressions or moments in sports and wildlife photography.

Pairing burst mode with fast memory cards and a respectable buffer, the NEX-7 offers satisfying performance for action-oriented shooters.

Flash and Low Light Performance: Shedding Light on Shadows

The FE-47 includes a built-in flash with a modest range of about 3.8 meters and basic flash modes (auto, on, off, red-eye reduction, fill-in). No external flash support is possible.

The NEX-7 features a more powerful built-in flash reaching approximately 6 meters and offers a range of modes including wireless flash control - a significant asset in studio or creative lighting situations. There is also support for external flashes via hot shoe, opening creative possibilities.

Low light shooting on the FE-47 is a challenge beyond ISO 400 or 800 where noise and softness quickly degrade photos. The Sony NEX-7, thanks to its larger sensor and higher ISO ceiling (up to 16,000), maintains usable image quality in dim conditions. While high ISO images do show some grain, they remain impressively detailed compared to the FE-47.

Video Capabilities: From VGA to Full HD

When it comes to video, the FE-47 offers rudimentary options: a maximum resolution of 640x480 at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format. There’s no microphone input or advanced recording modes, making it a basic consumer video tool.

The Sony NEX-7 supports Full HD (1920x1080) recording at 60 and 24 fps in MPEG-4 and AVCHD formats. It also includes an external microphone input - crucial for filmmakers wanting better audio quality - and HDMI output for clean video monitoring.

Clearly, the NEX-7 stands miles ahead for anyone serious about video shooting.

Battery Life and Storage: When Size and Power Count

The FE-47 runs on 2 x AA batteries, which is convenient for travel and emergency situations, as you can source these anywhere worldwide. However, AA batteries often provide limited shooting time compared to proprietary rechargeable packs.

The NEX-7 uses the rechargeable NPFW50 battery pack, rated for about 430 shots per charge - a solid performance in the mirrorless category. Charging options include USB, and it supports SD, SDHC, SDXC and Sony Memory Stick cards, offering greater storage flexibility.

Connecting with the World: Wireless, Tethering, and Ports

Connectivity on the FE-47 is minimal: USB 2.0 only, no wireless capabilities, no HDMI output or audio ports.

The NEX-7, from its era, already included support for Eye-Fi card compatibility to enable wireless image transfer, HDMI output for direct video feeds to monitors, and a microphone input, facilitating more serious workflows.

Practical Photography Use Cases: Strengths and Limitations Explored Across Genres

Let’s consider how each camera performs across typical photography disciplines:

• Portrait Photography:
  The NEX-7’s large APS-C sensor and extensive native lens lineup enable beautifully rendered skin tones, shallow depth of field, and fine control with aperture priority and manual focus. The FE-47’s small sensor and fixed lens offer limited bokeh control and flatten skin tones, making it suitable mostly for casual snapshots. The NEX-7’s face detection AF aids focus on eyes, which the FE-47 lacks.

• Landscape Photography:
  The Sony’s high resolution and dynamic range excel here, capturing rich details in highlights and shadows. Its manual controls and tilting LCD improve composition and exposure fine-tuning. The Olympus’s small sensor and limited dynamic range, combined with a fixed zoom, struggle with contrast and low detail.

• Wildlife Photography:
  The NEX-7’s vast lens ecosystem - especially telephoto zooms - and burst shooting at 10 fps give it a clear edge for capturing moving animals. Its AF is decent but not blazing fast, requiring some skill. The FE-47, with its slow contrast AF and lack of burst mode, is ill-suited beyond simple stationary wildlife novices.

• Sports Photography:
  Continuous shooting and manual controls let the NEX-7 perform reasonably in sports settings, although AF tracking is not cutting-edge. The FE-47’s lack of burst mode and exposure control makes it unsuitable.

• Street Photography:
  The smaller FE-47 presents a stealthier profile for candid street shots, bright scenes permitting. The NEX-7 is more conspicuous but offers better low-light performance and image quality. Portability might still favor the FE-47, but image quality and versatility favor the NEX-7.

• Macro Photography:
  The FE-47’s 3 cm macro focus point enables close-ups, but limited aperture and sensor quality reduce fine detail. The NEX-7 with macro-capable lenses shines here for crisply rendered close-ups with excellent control.

• Night and Astrophotography:
  The FE-47’s tiny sensor and lack of manual exposure modes essentially rule it out. The NEX-7’s manual controls, high ISO range, and long shutter speeds open possibilities, though lack of built-in stabilization means a tripod is essential.

• Video:
  The NEX-7 offers robust HD video with external audio support and HDMI out. The FE-47’s VGA video is limited and dated.

• Travel Photography:
  The FE-47’s tiny size, light weight, and AA battery convenience make it attractive for travelers prioritizing portability. The NEX-7, though larger and heavier, offers versatility and superior image quality, which adventurous travelers may prefer.

• Professional Work:
  The NEX-7 is more capable with RAW support, advanced controls, and broad lens compatibility. The FE-47 is mainly for casual use.

Sample Images Speak Louder Than Specs

Comparing real-world sample images yields concrete lessons:

Olympus FE 47 front Olympus FE 47 screen back Sony NEX 7 front Sony NEX 7 screen back

Notice the rich detail, vibrant colors, and controlled noise of the NEX-7’s images across varied lighting conditions versus the softer detail, higher noise, and limited dynamic range of the FE-47’s photos.

Final Performance Verdicts and Scores: Summarizing the Battle

After rigorous evaluation, including sensor analysis, image quality tests, autofocus performance, burst shooting, and more, here are overall scores reflecting balanced criteria:

How Do They Stack Up For Specific Photography Genres?

A closer look into how each camera fares per genre shows:

It’s clear the NEX-7 leads in nearly every photography discipline, with the FE-47 relegated to niche casual usage.

Who Should Buy Which? Clear Recommendations

Choose the Olympus FE-47 if:

• You want a simple, tiny point-and-shoot camera mainly for casual use or travel.
• You value compactness and AA batteries for easy replacements anywhere.
• Advanced features, manual controls, and high image quality are not priorities.
• Your budget is very limited or you want an inexpensive backup camera.

Choose the Sony NEX-7 if:

• You are an enthusiast or semi-pro seeking superior image quality and creative control.
• You want to experiment with manual settings, interchangeable lenses, and accept a larger size.
• You shoot diverse subjects - portraits, landscapes, action, and video - and need versatility.
• You appreciate strong build quality and a camera designed for serious photography.

Concluding Thoughts: Different Cameras for Different Needs

The Olympus FE-47 and Sony NEX-7 operate in entirely different classes, with nearly a decade gap and distinct user intentions. The FE-47 is a snapshot companion for nostalgia or convenience, while the NEX-7 is a powerful creative tool that paved the way for the mirrorless enthusiast revolution.

Both have their charm and place, but if image quality, control, and versatility are what you seek, the Sony NEX-7 clearly outclasses the Olympus FE-47. Yet, the FE-47’s small size and simplicity might hold appeal for casual shooters uninterested in fuss or complexity.

I’ve enjoyed shooting with both - one reminds me of the joy in effortless point-and-shoot moments, the other fuels my passion for refined craftsmanship and photographic exploration.

If you’re pondering a camera purchase, think about your priorities first: Do you want a camera to simply capture moments with zero fuss? Or are you excited to delve into manual techniques, swapping lenses, and pushing image quality to new heights? Your answers will point you firmly to either Olympus FE-47 or Sony NEX-7.

Happy shooting!