Olympus FE-5010 vs Olympus E-PL7

The following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus FE-5010 versus Olympus E-PL7, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and E-PL7 (16MP) and the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and E-PL7 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5010 was introduced 6 years prior to the E-PL7 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the FE-5010 matches up vs the E-PL7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-5010 & Olympus PEN E-PL7. The whole galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery & Olympus E-PL7 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-5010 enjoys outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL7 has dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Look at the Olympus FE-5010 versus Olympus E-PL7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the FE-5010 and the E-PL7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-5010 and E-PL7 is 96 and 86 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to see the difference between sensor dimensions merely by checking specs. The picture here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the FE-5010 and E-PL7.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FE-5010 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus E-PL7 will resolve greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged FE-5010 is going to be behind in sensor tech.