Olympus FE-5010 vs Olympus PEN E-PL5: A Hands-On Comparative Analysis for Discerning Photographers

Selecting the right camera demands more than a cursory glance at specs - it requires understanding how these specs translate into functional capabilities across diverse photographic disciplines. The Olympus FE-5010 and Olympus PEN E-PL5, while born from the same brand lineage, represent wholly different design philosophies, target audiences, and technological eras. This detailed comparison will dissect these two models through extensive hands-on experience and technical evaluation, providing nuanced insight for photography enthusiasts and professionals navigating between a small sensor compact and an entry-level mirrorless system.

Physical Design and Ergonomics: Compact Convenience vs. Mirrorless Control

At first glance, the Olympus FE-5010 is quintessentially a pocketable compact camera, weighing a mere 130 grams with dimensions of 96x57x21 mm. Its fixed lens extends the reach with an effective 36-180 mm (35mm equivalent) zoom range, housed in a streamlined body tailored for casual portability.

Conversely, the Olympus PEN E-PL5 scales up substantially in mass and volume, at 325 grams and measuring 111x64x38 mm. This rangefinder-style mirrorless camera embraces a modular approach with its Micro Four Thirds lens mount, offering expansive flexibility through interchangeable optics. The heft and handgrip contouring provide a tactile advantage for those prioritizing manual controls and stabilized shooting.

Ergonomically, the FE-5010’s minimal control layout, optimized for point-and-shoot simplicity, contrasts sharply with the E-PL5’s dedicated dials, buttons, and a tilting touchscreen interface conducive to deliberate composition and setting adjustments.

The top view comparison highlights these philosophies: the FE-5010 offers a clean, uncluttered interface with minimal physical shutter controls, whereas the E-PL5 incorporates a more sophisticated array of exposure parameters and a mode dial that swiftly supports shooting versatility. For photographers accustomed to granular control and tactile feedback, the mirrorless form factor's ergonomics are significantly more accommodating for prolonged or professional use.

Sensor Architecture and Image Quality: A Leap from Small Sensor to Micro Four Thirds

Sensor size dictates fundamental imaging capabilities and sets the foundation for all subsequent photographic quality metrics.

The FE-5010 relies on a 1/2.3" CCD sensor with a surface area of approximately 27.72 mm² and a resolution of 12 megapixels. In contrast, the E-PL5 features a much larger Four Thirds CMOS sensor with an area nearing 224.90 mm² and a 16-megapixel count. This substantial increase in sensor size fundamentally affects low-light performance, dynamic range, color fidelity, and depth of field control.

• Dynamic Range and Noise Control: The larger pixel pitch and improved sensor technology in the E-PL5 provide superior dynamic range, allowing it to recover more detail in high-contrast scenes. The FE-5010’s sensor, tailored to compact camera economics, exhibits limited dynamic range and elevated noise levels at ISO values above 400, which become evident in shadow areas and highlight recovery attempts.

• Color Depth and Tonality: The E-PL5 boasts a color depth measurement of 22.8 bits (DxO data), indicating richer gradations and more accurate skin tone reproduction - paramount in portrait photography. The FE-5010 does not have formally tested color depth but generally offers less nuanced chromatic separation, impacting subtle tones.

• Resolution and Lens-Coupled Sharpness: Although the FE-5010 has a modest 12 MP count, its fixed optical zoom lens can render adequate sharpness within its zoom band but falls short of resolving power demanded for large prints or detailed cropping. Conversely, the E-PL5, paired with quality Micro Four Thirds optics, delivers sharper images with finer detail discernible at full resolution.

Display and Viewfinder: Framing and Feedback for Composition

The FE-5010 uses a fixed 2.7-inch LCD with a low-resolution 230k dot count, which limits real-time image review fidelity and responsiveness during live view framing. There is no electronic or optical viewfinder, making shooting in bright environments challenging.

In contrast, the E-PL5 sports a 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen LCD boasting a higher 460k resolution, improving image review and menu navigation sensitivity. This articulating screen supports creative angles and selfie inclinations. Although the E-PL5 does not have a built-in EVF, an optional external electronic viewfinder can be attached, lending versatility for bright light or precision manual focusing conditions.

The touchscreen interface on the E-PL5 greatly enhances autofocus point selection and exposure adjustments, a feature absent in the FE-5010’s simplistic physical button approach.

Autofocus and Focusing Systems: Precision vs. Simplicity

With only contrast-detection autofocus centered on a single zone, the FE-5010’s AF system is basic, lacking face detection, eye detection, or continuous AF modes. Manual focus is unsupported, and focus tracking abilities are absent. This setup is sufficient for casual snapshots but limits capture quality for moving subjects or critical focus demands such as macro or wildlife photography.

The E-PL5 offers a marked advancement here - 35 AF points using contrast detection, face detection capabilities, selective and continuous autofocus, and touch-to-focus via its LCD. While it lacks phase detection autofocus, limiting speed relative to more contemporary mirrorless models, its AF tracking still reliably follows moving subjects in average lighting. Manual focusing is fully supported, important for macro or portraiture requiring critical control.

Build Quality and Environmental Resistance

Though information on the exact weather sealing of the FE-5010 is sparse, it is noted to have some environmental sealing, which is unusual but beneficial in compact cameras. However, it is not shockproof, waterproof, dustproof, or freezeproof. The FE-5010 is primarily designed as an everyday carry compact rather than a ruggedized camera.

The E-PL5 does not feature weather sealing either, as is common in entry-level mirrorless cameras of its generation, so additional protection is required for adverse conditions. The metal body construction is sturdier and often more comfortable for prolonged usage.

Lens Ecosystem and Optical Versatility

The FE-5010 features a fixed zoom lens with a 5x optical zoom (36-180mm equivalent), with an aperture range of f/3.5-5.6. Its macro focusing capability to 3 cm is respectable within compacts, enabling decent close-up shots without auxiliary lenses.

The PEN E-PL5’s Micro Four Thirds mount opens an enormous lens universe of over 100 native lenses ranging from ultra-wide to super-telephoto primes and zooms, macro lenses with excellent close-focusing distances, and fast-aperture optics. This versatility empowers photographers to tailor their gear precisely to their photographic objectives, enabling optimized depth of field control, low light ability, and creative expression.

Burst Rates and Continuous Shooting

The FE-5010 does not support continuous shooting, constraining its usability for fast action or wildlife requires. The shutter speeds range between 4 sec to 1/2000 sec, which is typical for compact cameras but limits freezing very fast motion.

On the other hand, the E-PL5 delivers a respectable 8 fps burst mode with autofocus tracking, benefiting sports and wildlife photographers who need multiple frames to capture decisive moments. It supports shutter speeds from 60 sec to 1/4000 sec, granting creative latitude in exposure control.

Video Capabilities: Basic vs. HD-Ready

The FE-5010’s video recording is limited to 640x480 resolution at 30 fps, using Motion JPEG codec. This resolution is below modern expectations and severely restricts video quality and post-production flexibility.

By comparison, the E-PL5 supports full HD 1080p recording at 30 fps with MPEG-4/H.264 compression, alongside 720p and VGA modes. Despite lacking microphone and headphone ports, video quality is substantially superior for casual to semi-professional filmmaking.

Neither model offers 4K capture or advanced video functionalities such as log profiles or focus peaking.

Stabilization and Low-Light Performance

Both cameras incorporate sensor-based image stabilization. The FE-5010’s sensor-shift stabilization aids handheld shooting by mitigating camera shake, particularly beneficial given its longer focal length at telephoto end and slower lens aperture.

The E-PL5 also features sensor-based stabilization, which synergizes well with fast prime lenses for handheld low-light conditions. Its larger sensor and higher maximum native ISO of 25600 (vs. 1600 for FE-5010) provide superior high ISO performance with less noise, critical for night, astro, and indoor photography.

Battery Life and Storage Flexibility

The FE-5010 uses a proprietary LI-42B battery, typically sufficient for casual use but with limitations for extended sessions. Storage is limited to xD-Picture Cards or microSD cards with adapters, which is a dated and less common format today, potentially complicating media procurement.

The E-PL5 employs a BLS-5 Lithium-ion Battery Pack, rated for approximately 360 shots per charge - relatively standard for mirrorless cameras of its class. It accepts the ubiquitous SD/SDHC/SDXC card types, which provide broader compatibility, higher capacities, and faster write speeds supporting burst shooting and HD video recording.

Wireless Connectivity and Data Transfer

Neither camera includes modern wireless standards such as Bluetooth or NFC. The FE-5010 has no wireless capabilities.

The E-PL5 was early to implement “Eye-Fi connected” support, enabling compatible Wi-Fi SD cards to provide wireless image transfer, an important albeit limited convenience for image sharing. It includes an HDMI port for external display connectivity, absent on the FE-5010.

USB 2.0 ports on both models offer tethered transfer but are slower compared to modern USB 3.0 or USB-C standards.

Pricing and Value Assessment

At introductory pricing around $130, the FE-5010 targets entry-level users seeking a straightforward point-and-shoot experience with modest image quality and zoom flexibility. Its low cost is compelling for casual snapshots but comes with significant compromises in control, performance, and output quality.

The E-PL5, priced near $400 at launch, reflects its advanced sensor, lens interchangeability, and robust feature set. It provides a solid entry point into mirrorless system shooting, suitable for enthusiasts desiring higher image quality, creative freedom, and manual control.

Performance Ratings and Genre-Specific Suitability

Based on rigorous camera testing protocols assessing image quality, autofocus speed, handling, and video performance, the Olympus E-PL5 scores substantially higher overall than the FE-5010, with noted strengths in dynamic range, control, and versatility.

Olympus FE 5010 front Olympus FE 5010 screen back Olympus E PL5 front Olympus E PL5 screen back

In side-by-side sample images, the E-PL5’s superior detail retention, color accuracy, and low noise are clearly evident, particularly notable in outdoor landscapes and indoor portraits.

Photography Discipline Analysis: Where Each Camera Excels and Falls Short

Portrait Photography

• FE-5010: Limited by fixed lens aperture and lack of face/eye detection autofocus, resulting in flat skin tones under complex lighting. Bokeh is minimal due to small sensor and narrow apertures.
• E-PL5: Stronger thanks to greater control over depth of field, face-detect AF, and higher color depth. The lens options allow for professional-quality portraits with smooth background defocus.

Landscape

• FE-5010: Modest zoom range with limited resolution and dynamic range restricts pictorial quality for serious landscape photographers.
• E-PL5: Greater resolution, improved DR, and lens variety, including ultra-wides, makes it far more suited for landscapes.

Wildlife

• FE-5010: Slow autofocus and no continuous shooting hamper capturing fast subjects; telephoto reach is limited but usable for occasional shots.
• E-PL5: Faster AF, continuous burst mode, and telephoto lens options significantly enhance wildlife shooting capacity.

Sports

• FE-5010: No continuous shooting or autofocus tracking effectively rules it out for sports photography.
• E-PL5: 8 fps burst and solid AF tracking enable competent performance in recreational sports work.

Street

• FE-5010: Extremely compact and discreet; suitable for casual street photography but image quality suffers under challenging light.
• E-PL5: Larger and less stealthy but offers tilting touchscreen for creative angles and better low light response.

Macro

• FE-5010: Close focus to 3 cm decent for casual macro; fixed lens limits magnification and detail.
• E-PL5: Superior with specially designed macro lenses and precise manual focusing capabilities.

Night/Astro

• FE-5010: Limited ISO ceiling and long exposures without bulb mode restrict astro capabilities.
• E-PL5: Higher ISO range, longer shutter speeds, and low noise facilitate better night and astro photography.

Video

• FE-5010: Basic VGA video recording inadequate for modern needs.
• E-PL5: Full HD recording, progressive frame rates, and quality video compression for higher production value.

Travel

• FE-5010: Ultra-light footprint ideal for minimalist travel; battery and sensor limitations temper performance.
• E-PL5: Versatile system providing high image quality and battery life; larger but manageable for travel photography kits.

Professional Workflows

• FE-5010: No RAW support and limited control reduce utility for serious post-processing and workflows.
• E-PL5: RAW support, exposure modes, and workflow-friendly features align with professional standards.

Final Recommendations

• Choose the Olympus FE-5010 if you require an inexpensive, pocketable camera for casual snapshot use, simple operation, and very light travel with minimal photographic ambition.

• Opt for the Olympus PEN E-PL5 if you value image quality, manual control, and flexibility across photographic genres, and are willing to carry a larger body with interchangeable lenses. It is an ideal stepping stone into mirrorless photography for enthusiasts demanding better results and creative freedom.

This comparison, grounded in comprehensive testing and deep technical understanding, underscores the transformative gap between fixed-lens compacts and entry-level mirrorless cameras. Users should align their choice with personal exigencies, balancing convenience against capability.

Your next step in photographic evolution can be informed by these insights, optimizing your investment to suit your shooting style and aspirations.

Note: All technical data referenced draws upon formal sensor measurements where available, direct hands-on evaluation, and established industry benchmarks to ensure an authoritative, responsible consumer guide.