Olympus FE-5010 vs Pentax K-5 II

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Olympus FE-5010 versus Pentax K-5 II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5010 was revealed 5 years earlier than the K-5 II and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief view of how the FE-5010 scores against the K-5 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5010 and Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-5010 features outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 II has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Compare the Olympus FE-5010 versus Pentax K-5 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the FE-5010 and the K-5 II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-5010 and K-5 II is 96 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to see the contrast between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-5010 and K-5 II.

As you can see, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FE-5010 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-5 II will resolve more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older FE-5010 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.