Olympus FE-5010 vs Samsung Galaxy NX

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus FE-5010 and Samsung Galaxy NX, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Samsung. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and Galaxy NX (20MP) and the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and Galaxy NX (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5010 was unveiled 5 years before the Galaxy NX and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Samsung Galaxy NX being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a brief overview of how the FE-5010 grades against the Galaxy NX in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5010 and Samsung Galaxy NX. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Samsung Galaxy NX Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-5010 comes with external measurements 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 Samsung Galaxy NX has dimensions of 137mm x 101mm x 26mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 1.0") with a weight of 495 grams (1.09 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus FE-5010 and Samsung Galaxy NX in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the FE-5010 and the Galaxy NX.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FE-5010 and Galaxy NX is 96 and 82 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to see the difference in sensor sizing just by going through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-5010 and Galaxy NX.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FE-5010 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Samsung Galaxy NX will show extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older FE-5010 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.