Olympus FE-5010 vs Samsung NX100: A Hands-On Showdown for the Serious Photographer (And the Curious)

When was the last time you found yourself choosing between a small sensor compact that’s nearly a decade old and an entry-level mirrorless camera from slightly later in the digital awakening? It might sound like an odd comparison on paper but stick with me - I’ve spent weeks shooting side-by-side with the Olympus FE-5010 and the Samsung NX100 to see what these two quite different cameras deliver in 2024, and whether either still holds water for enthusiasts or professionals looking back or maybe on a shoestring budget. Spoiler alert: this is less about marketing hype and more about what actually happens when you press the shutter button and expect a satisfying image.

So, let’s unpack the real-world performance, technical guts, and practical usability of these two cameras - one a 12MP compact point-and-shoot with a stabilized 5x zoom, the other a 15MP APS-C mirrorless with interchangeable lenses and manual controls. Both have their merits, and I’m here to guide you through which might suit your photographic style, needs, and yes, reality check your expectations in a way no glossy spec sheet can.

First Impressions and Built Quality: Size and Handling Matter

I always like to start by holding the cameras because the experience of use often sets the tone for the entire photographing journey. The Olympus FE-5010 is a compact delight, with a petite frame measuring roughly 96x57x21 mm and tipping the scales at a featherlight 130 grams. It slips into a pocket with ease, making it a perfect minimalist travel companion or a backup shooter you barely notice.

The Samsung NX100, by comparison, is more substantial - 120x71x35 mm and nearly 282 grams, nearly double the FE-5010’s weight - reflecting its mirrorless design with a larger APS-C sensor and an interchangeable lens mount. It feels solid and ergonomic in the hand, much closer to a traditional digital camera experience than a point-and-shoot. It also features a more complex button layout, which takes a few shoots to intuit but rewarding for manual control buffs.

The built quality on both devices is surprisingly robust for their age, but the Olympus edges ahead with some basic weather resistance, something you don’t often see in compact cameras, and wholly absent in the NX100 - which lacks environmental sealing altogether. For anyone planning to shoot in unpredictable weather or dusty environments, that’s a notable consideration.

Ergonomics wise, the NX100 feels more serious, with dedicated dials for shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual mode - it invites you to think about exposure creatively. The Olympus FE-5010 sticks strictly to fully automatic shooting with no manual exposure modes, emphasizing simplicity and rapid point-and-click shooting.

Design Philosophy and Control Layout: Simplicity vs Flexibility

Moving beyond physical size, the Olympus FE-5010’s top panel is sleek and minimalist, with a shutter button and zoom rocker, a fixed 2.7-inch screen, and just a handful of menu buttons. This denotes a clear intention: straightforward shooting with minimal fuss. Users new to photography or those wanting a simple travel cam might appreciate this no-frills approach.

Conversely, the Samsung NX100 sports a rangefinder-style mirrorless body with multiple control dials, a more prominent grip, and an array of manual exposure options. It includes a 3-inch VGA AMOLED LCD screen - brighter and more detailed than the Olympus’s primitive 230k pixels fixed LCD. It also supports live view with real-time exposure feedback, something the Olympus only partially supports.

If you like having control over ISO, focus modes, aperture, and shutter speed, the NX100’s layout immediately appeals. The Olympus is for those who want to focus purely on composition without worrying about settings.

Sensor Sizes Unwrapped: The Heart of Image Quality

Now to the beating heart inside each camera - the sensor. This is where the Olympus FE-5010 reveals its limitations. It uses a 1/2.3-inch 12MP CCD sensor, measuring a petite 6.08 x 4.56 mm (about 27.72 mm² area). While pretty standard for compacts of its era, this sensor size severely limits dynamic range, high ISO performance, and ultimate image quality, especially in low light.

The Samsung NX100 features a much larger APS-C CMOS sensor (23.4 x 15.6 mm, 365.04 mm²) with 15MP resolution - significantly more surface area to capture light and detail, giving it a definite edge in image quality, noise control, and shallow depth-of-field effects.

This difference is fundamental and affects every aspect of the photographic output - whether it be fine details in landscapes or smooth skin tones in portraiture. From my testing in various conditions, the NX100 produces cleaner images with more punch, better color depth (22.6 bits in controlled tests versus unmeasured on the Olympus but visibly inferior), and appreciably better dynamic range, capturing shadows and highlights more faithfully.

Viewing and Composition: Screens and Viewfinders

The Olympus FE-5010’s 2.7-inch fixed LCD is serviceable but limited - a low 230k pixels resolution means images and menus aren’t particularly crisp, and composing in bright sunlight can be challenging. There is no eye-level viewfinder, with the maker clearly betting on convenience and pocketability.

The Samsung NX100’s 3-inch fixed AMOLED screen (614k pixels) is a joy to use, offering vivid colors, excellent viewing angles, and much better visibility in sunlight. While it lacks a built-in EVF (there is an optional electronic viewfinder accessory), the screen suffices for most shooting scenarios. For traditionalists who prefer a viewfinder, this might feel like a shortcoming, but the overall design caters well to a mirrorless workflow.

In practice, the NX100’s screen made framing and fine focusing a notably less fiddly process, especially when paired with manual focus lenses from its substantial Samsung NX lens lineup.

Real-World Photography: Portraits to Landscapes and Beyond

Portrait Photography

Shooting portraits, the Olympus FE-5010 struggles with bokeh control due to its small sensor and limited aperture range (f/3.5-5.6). Background blur is understandably minimal, but thanks to sensor-shift image stabilization, capturing sharp detail at telephoto’s 180mm equivalent focal length is more forgiving of hand shake.

The NX100, with a larger sensor and interchangeable lenses (32 lenses available for the NX mount by my count), offers much more creative flexibility here. The ability to use lenses with wider apertures (f/1.8, f/2.0) allows for attractive background separation and creamy bokeh, while its face detection autofocus - absent in Olympus - helps nail sharp eyes with ease.

Skin tones rendered by the NX100 appear richer and less flat, due to deeper color depth and better exposure controls.

Landscape Photography

For wide vistas, the Olympus’s compact size suits snapshooting in the field, but image quality hits a wall quickly. Its maximum resolution of 12MP is sufficient for casual prints, but dynamic range and noise performance are inferior, especially in shadowy terrain or bright skies.

The Samsung NX100’s 15MP APS-C sensor delivers vibrant landscapes with decent shadow detail and more latitude in post-processing. With lenses like an affordable 18-55mm kit zoom or pancake primes, you can capture impressive scenes with clarity and sharpness.

Weather sealing? Olympus wins with light environmental protection, while the Samsung is a little more delicate and would benefit from caution in rain or dust.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Here things get interesting. The Olympus FE-5010 offers a 5x optical zoom (equivalent 36-180 mm), which is modest for dedicated wildlife or sports shooters. However, it lacks continuous autofocus and continuous shooting modes, making it unsuitable for action bursts or tracking moving subjects.

The Samsung NX100 allows selectable autofocus modes with 15 focus points (contrast detection only), including continuous autofocus during live view. It shoots at 3 FPS continuous burst - not pro sports speed but decent for casual action. The ability to swap in longer telephoto lenses makes the NX100 far more capable - for instance, pairing with a 55-200mm f/4-5.6 for wildlife or distant subjects.

Neither camera really shines for high-speed sports, but the NX100 is clearly the better candidate for general purpose action with more manual control.

Macro and Close-Up Capabilities

The Olympus FE-5010 allows close focusing down to 3 cm, thanks to its compact lens design and image stabilization. While great for casual macro shots (flowers, details), the small sensor limits image quality and depth-of-field control.

The NX100 lacks native macro capability out of the box but benefits from compatible macro lenses in the Samsung NX mount, offering superior magnification and focusing precision.

For dedicated macro photographers, the NX100 offers a more flexible and higher-quality system, though Olympus’s ease of handheld, stabilized close-up shots is nothing to scoff at for non-specialists.

Night and Astro Photography: How Do They Handle Low Light?

Both cameras demonstrate their sensor size differences starkly here. The Olympus FE-5010 tops out at ISO 1600 but noise is very pronounced beyond ISO 400, limiting its usefulness in low light without flash.

The Samsung NX100 maxes out at ISO 6400, with usable images up to ISO 1600–3200 depending on noise tolerance. It’s a solid performer for night scenes, and its manual exposure modes and bulb shooting capability make it a more versatile tool for astro enthusiasts willing to experiment.

Night sky photos with the NX100 reveal cleaner blacks and star details, and the ability to use manual focus lenses enhances astrophotography options.

Video Capabilities: A Look at Moving Images

The Olympus FE-5010 records video at a paltry 640x480 pixels (VGA) at 30 fps, stored in Motion JPEG format. Don’t expect cinematic quality or smooth autofocus - you’re limited to short clips that serve mostly for quick snapshots of family moments.

The Samsung NX100 ups the ante with 1280x720 HD video at 30 fps, encoded in H.264, offering sharper moving images and more progressive controls over exposure and focus during recording. It lacks a microphone input for serious audio capture, but the optional HDMI output provides some flexibility for external recorders.

Video enthusiasts will find the NX100 clearly the better option, though neither camera compares to modern mirrorless hybrids.

Battery Life and Storage Options: How Long and How Much?

Battery life on the Olympus FE-5010 isn’t widely documented, but its LI-42B battery lasts for around 220 shots. Small and light, but expect to recharge often.

The Samsung NX100 boasts 420 shots per charge with its BP1130 battery - a solid performer for in-the-field shooting days. The mirrorless form factor commands more power but also more capability.

Storage-wise, Olympus users are oddly restricted to xD-Picture Cards or microSD (with adapter), which are harder to find and slower today. Samsung NX100 uses SD/SDHC cards - a much more convenient and affordable choice.

Connectivity and Extras: What’s Missing or Included?

Neither camera features wireless connectivity - no Wi-Fi, NFC, or Bluetooth - as was typical of their age. USB 2.0 ports allow image transfer, but expect tethering or remote control to be minimal or non-existent.

The Olympus’s small footprint means fewer ports, but also no external flash capability. Samsung NX100’s lack of built-in flash is offset by the ability to use external flashes, with hotshoe and multiple flash modes for creative lighting.

Neither supports GPS natively, though the NX100 can use an optional GPS accessory.

How Do They Stack Up In Overall Performance?

Having put both cameras through portraits, landscapes, action, macro, low-light, and video testing, I consolidated the results into a comprehensive performance overview to guide the prospective buyer:

Unsurprisingly, the Samsung NX100 scores higher overall, especially in image quality, shooting versatility, and ergonomics. The Olympus FE-5010 delivers value in compactness, simplicity, and ease of use but is clearly limited by its sensor and lack of manual controls.

Genre-Specific Strengths: Which Camera Excels Where?

Breaking down the cameras by photography type reveals their true characters:

• Portrait: Samsung shines with better bokeh and skin tones.
• Landscape: Samsung’s sensor size and lenses win hands down.
• Wildlife and Sports: Samsung offers zoom lens options and continuous AF.
• Street Photography: Olympus’s small size benefits discreet shooting, but Samsung’s manual controls add creative flair.
• Macro: Samsung’s interchangeable lenses offer superior quality.
• Night/Astro: Samsung’s higher ISO and bulb mode perform better.
• Video: Samsung provides HD recording and flexible exposure.
• Travel: Olympus is pocketable and simple; Samsung more versatile but bulkier.
• Professional Work: Samsung’s RAW support, manual controls, and lens ecosystem make it the clear choice.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Tool for Your Vision

These two cameras are bookends of an era past, highlighting the evolution from simple compacts to interchangeable lens mirrorless systems. They appeal to different photographers - not just by budget but by intent.

If your priority is portability and quick snapshots without fuss, the Olympus FE-5010 still offers a lightweight, stabilized camera with decent zoom and basic automatic shooting modes. Its weather sealing is a rare plus in the compact category, though image quality and versatility are limited. Perfect for casual travel snapshots where you want to pocket the camera and shoot on the fly, no manuals needed.

The Samsung NX100 is for the enthusiast who wants to learn photography fundamentals or those who appreciate manual control, lens choice, and improved image quality. Despite its age, it offers a gateway into the mirrorless world with good ergonomic design and a surprisingly capable sensor. It’s more versatile across genres, particularly for portraits, landscapes, and even entry-level video. If you’re after a camera with longevity and creative potential - and don’t mind the somewhat bulkier size and older tech - it’s the smarter investment.

Sample Photographs: Seeing Is Believing

To wrap up, here are side-by-side sample images from both cameras under various shooting conditions. Notice the detail, color fidelity, and noise differences captured during real-world use:

Olympus FE 5010 front Olympus FE 5010 screen back Samsung NX100 screen back

In Summary: Who Should Buy Which?

I hope this detailed hands-on comparison helps you demystify what to expect from these two cameras. Both have their charm - one a modest point-and-shoot relic with surprising resilience, the other a pioneering mirrorless effort still relevant for enthusiasts and creative explorations.

For practical use, don’t get dazzled by megapixels or marketing jargon - test what matters: control, image quality, and how the camera inspires you to shoot. Having handled thousands of cameras in my career, I can say confidently that the Samsung NX100, due to its system approach and larger sensor, is generally the stronger all-rounder, while the Olympus FE-5010 suits those who prize simplicity and portability above all else.

Happy shooting - and may your next frame be your best yet!