Olympus FE-5010 vs Olympus E-PL2

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus FE-5010 vs Olympus E-PL2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are produced by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the FE-5010 (12MP) and the E-PL2 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and E-PL2 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor size.

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The FE-5010 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the E-PL2 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the FE-5010 scores vs the E-PL2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5010 and Olympus PEN E-PL2. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Olympus E-PL2 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus FE-5010 comes with physical dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL2 has sizing of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs).

Check out the Olympus FE-5010 vs Olympus E-PL2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the FE-5010 compared to the E-PL2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-5010 and E-PL2 is 96 and 85 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to envision the gap between sensor measurements only by checking specs. The graphic below might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-5010 and E-PL2.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide the same resolution albeit not the same sensor measurements. The FE-5010 has got the tinier sensor which should make obtaining shallow depth of field more difficult. The older FE-5010 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.