Olympus FE-5010 vs Panasonic S5

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus FE-5010 versus Panasonic S5, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and S5 (24MP) and the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) posses different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5010 was unveiled 12 years prior to the S5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the FE-5010 matches up vs the S5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-5010 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus FE-5010 has got outside 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 Panasonic S5 has proportions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Examine the Olympus FE-5010 versus Panasonic S5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the FE-5010 against the S5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-5010 and S5 is 96 and 60 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizes merely by looking at specs. The pic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-5010 and S5.

All in all, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FE-5010 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic S5 will give you greater detail having an extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged FE-5010 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.