Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony NEX-3

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus FE-5010 versus Sony NEX-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FE-5010 (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is pretty close but the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The FE-5010 was revealed 17 months earlier than the NEX-3 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick overview of how the FE-5010 matches up vs the NEX-3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus FE-5010 and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-5010 enjoys outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Examine the Olympus FE-5010 versus Sony NEX-3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the FE-5010 and the NEX-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FE-5010 and NEX-3 is 96 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements just by researching technical specs. The visual underneath may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-5010 and NEX-3.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FE-5010 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-3 will render more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older FE-5010 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.