Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony NEX-5

Here is a extended assessment of the Olympus FE-5010 and Sony NEX-5, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the FE-5010 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is fairly close but the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5010 was announced 17 months before the NEX-5 making them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a quick summation of how the FE-5010 scores against the NEX-5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-5010 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus FE-5010 provides exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Look at the Olympus FE-5010 and Sony NEX-5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the FE-5010 and the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FE-5010 and NEX-5 is 96 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizing only by looking through technical specs. The visual here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the FE-5010 and NEX-5.

As you have seen, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FE-5010 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-5 will result in greater detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos way more aggressively. The older FE-5010 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.