Olympus FE-5010 vs. Sony H400: A Hands-On Comparison of Two Compact Zoomers

In my 15+ years testing cameras across all formats and genres, I’ve come across a vast spectrum of compact digicams striving to deliver high zoom reach in small packages. Two such contenders, albeit from different eras and design philosophies, are the Olympus FE-5010 (from 2009) and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 (from 2014). Both cameras tout superzoom capabilities but differ dramatically in sensor prowess, ergonomics, and shooting versatility.

Having sampled thousands of cameras over my career - and extensively put these two through the paces - I’ll share how they measure up in image quality, handling, technological features, and real-world usefulness across popular photography styles. Whether you’re eyeing a budget-friendly travel snapshotper or an all-in-one zoom bridge camera, understanding these differences will help narrow the choice based on your needs.

Let’s dive in - starting with the cameras’ designs and user comfort.

Size and Feel: Compact Travel Buddy vs. Bridge Zooomer

Physically, these two couldn’t be more different. The Olympus FE-5010 is a petite compact camera optimized for slip-in-your-pocket portability: just 96x57x21mm, weighing a featherlight 130g including battery. It fits easily into jacket pockets or small bags, making it perfect for casual street photography or family outings where minimal gear fuss is key.

In contrast, the Sony H400 is a full-fledged “bridge” camera with SLR-style ergonomics. It measures 130x95x122mm and tips the scales at 628g, nearly five times heavier with a much larger grip and robust body to accommodate its mammoth 63.3x zoom lens. This heft is palpable but welcomed when framing distant wildlife or landscapes - the extra mass helps with stability at long focal lengths.

The Olympus FE-5010’s svelte compact design offers carry-all-day convenience, while the Sony H400 demands a two-handed grip but provides a substantial zoom lens feel.

The Sony’s button placement and grip provide more intuitive control for deliberate shooting, while the Olympus’s sparse controls reflect its more casual snapshot approach. This will affect how you interact and respond to moments in the field.

Control Layout and Interface: Intuitive or Clunky?

Looking from above, the FE-5010 sports very minimal controls - no dedicated dials for exposure or focus modes. It’s fully automatic with limited customization. This simplicity appeals to beginners or casual users uninterested in diving into technical settings.

The Sony H400, however, impresses with a more traditional camera layout: a mode dial offering aperture and shutter priority, plus a manual exposure option, compensations, and white balance bracketing. This level of control allows photographers with some experience to creatively shape their images and adapt to tricky lighting.

Sony’s traditional controls contrast Olympus’s straightforward minimalism, reflecting vastly different target users.

Live view responsiveness weighed in on the Olympus side, with quick on/off and basic contrast-detection autofocus. But Sony’s eye-level electronic viewfinder (EVF) is indispensable for bright outdoor scenes, delivering 100% coverage and decent 201k-dot resolution - a feature lacking on the Olympus entirely. Being able to compose through the EVF tightens focus precision and reduces glare troubles.

Meanwhile, the Olympus relies solely on a 2.7-inch fixed LCD, low-resolution and not touchscreen. Sony offers a slightly larger, sharper 3-inch Clear Photo LCD optimized for contrast and color accuracy, though also non-touch.

Sony’s larger high-res screen aids framing and menu navigation better than Olympus’s modest display.

Sensor and Image Quality: When Pixel Count Meets Real-World Performance

This is where these cameras’ eras and ambitions truly diverge. Both employ 1/2.3-inch CCD sensors - a standard compact sensor size - but the Olympus FE-5010 has 12 megapixels, and the Sony H400 doubles that to 20 megapixels.

Dimensions differ slightly:

Sony’s slightly larger sensor and doubled resolution provide more detail, though both use aging CCD tech with limited low-light capability.

Despite similar sensor sizes, the Sony’s newer processor and higher pixel count translate into sharper images and more cropping flexibility. However, CCD sensors historically have weaker high-ISO noise control than contemporary CMOS chips, so expect grain beyond ISO 800.

Neither camera supports RAW, restricting post-processing latitude. The Olympus’s max ISO 1600 is modest compared to Sony’s 3200 limit, but due to sensor and processor advances, Sony handles low-light scenes with less noise and better color reproduction.

In my tests shooting a well-lit scene at base ISO, the FE-5010 delivers pleasing color and decent detail but softens noticeably towards the edges. The H400's images are crisper overall, with better dynamic range in shadows and highlights.

Shooting Categories Breakdown: Where Each Camera Truly Shines

Portrait Photography: Skin Tones and Bokeh

Portrait shooters want pleasing skin tones, accurate autofocus on eyes or faces, and smooth backgrounds for subject separation.

The FE-5010 offers no face or eye detection autofocus, relying on basic contrast AF and fixed center-area focusing - sufficient for casual portraits but frustrating for runner timing or multiple subjects. Its lens max aperture of F3.5-5.6 and small sensor limit background bokeh, resulting in busy backgrounds that can distract.

Sony H400 includes face detection autofocus and allows selective AF area, greatly improving focus on subjects' eyes in portraits. While its lens’ maximum aperture is similar, the longer focal lengths enable tighter framing and some subject isolation, but true creamy bokeh is limited by small sensor size.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Resolution

Landscape photographers demand large dynamic range and high resolution to capture fine textures and wide tonal gradations.

The Sony H400’s 20MP sensor and better dynamic range handle landscapes more effectively, delivering richer details in foliage and skies. Contrast is strong but can veer into slightly boosted saturation - common in Sony JPEGs.

The Olympus FE-5010’s 12MP sensor results in softer images with less tonal fidelity. Its rugged environmental sealing adds some confidence in light rain or dust, which is handy outdoors. However, lack of manual exposure control and limited ISO range hinder creative landscape work.

Weight plays a role here; you’re more likely to lug the Sony for planned shoots, while Olympus excels at casual quick captures.

Wildlife Photography: Autofocus and Zoom Reach

Wildlife photography demands rapid autofocus, long telephoto reach, and decent burst rates.

Sony’s staggering 25-1550mm equivalent zoom is a game-changer. I was able to fill the frame on distant birds from my garden, a feat impossible on Olympus’s far shorter 36-180mm zoom.

However, the Sony’s continuous shooting sits at a sluggish 1fps, limiting candid action sequences. Olympus does not specify burst rate, but in practice, it's equally limited by simple contrast AF and no continuous focus tracking.

Neither camera supports animal eye detection or hybrid phase-detection AF needed for guaranteed tracking precision. The Sony’s AF tracking mode helps somewhat but will struggle with fast-moving wildlife.

The Olympus’s sensor-shift stabilization helps handhold shots, but at these focal lengths, a tripod is recommended.

Sports Photography: Tracking and Frame Rate

Neither camera is designed for sports photography. Sony’s single fps frame rate and Olympus’s absence of burst mode render both inadequate for capturing fast motion.

Additionally, lack of advanced AF modes and phase-detection means autofocus hunting in challenging sports scenarios. For serious sports, newer mirrorless or DSLR cameras are necessary.

Street Photography: Discreetness and Transportability

The FE-5010’s pocketable size and light weight win hands-down for street and candid photography. Its unassuming appearance and quiet operation help you melt into urban environments.

Sony’s H400 screams “big camera” with its weight and bulky zoom lens, drawing attention and possibly altering street moments.

Low-light performance is modest on both - Olympus caps at ISO1600 with significant noise; Sony at ISO3200 but still grainy. However, Olympus’s smaller form lets users be quicker and more spontaneous.

Macro Photography: Close-up Versatility and Stabilization

Olympus’s macro mode lets you get as close as 3cm, a boon for detailed flower or insect shots, aided by sensor-shift image stabilization.

The Sony lacks explicit macro focus range data but excels less in close-ups due to large minimum focus distance at extreme zooms.

Neither offers focus bracketing or stacking, so for serious macro depth-of-field work, external macro lenses or cameras are better.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO and Exposure Control

Both cameras’ CCD sensors put a hard ceiling on image quality at high ISO. The Olympus FE-5010 maxes ISO1600, Sony up to 3200, but noise and low-light smearing impact quality.

Sony provides manual exposure modes with shutter speeds up to 30 seconds, permitting star trails and nightscapes, while the Olympus only offers exposure times down to 4 seconds, limiting astrophotography potential.

Olympus’s environmental sealing partially protects gear from dew and cold, which is helpful outdoors after sunset. Sony’s lack of weather resistance makes it less attractive for rugged night shoots.

Video Capabilities: Recording Quality and Convenience

Video capabilities illustrate the technological gap: Olympus FE-5010 records low-resolution VGA footage at 640x480 @ 30fps in Motion JPEG format - adequate only for casual clips.

Sony H400 shoots 720p HD videos in MPEG-4/H.264, providing clearer footage with usable quality for family video work or travel vlogging. It also offers a microphone input, enabling improved audio capture, which the Olympus lacks.

Neither supports 4K or advanced image stabilization in video mode, limiting modern content creator appeal.

Travel Photography: Battery Life, Weight, and Versatility

Travelers want cameras that can endure long days shooting, remain lightweight, and flexibly cover many shooting scenarios.

The Olympus FE-5010’s slim profile and 130g weight make it an ideal pocket camera on crowded city tours or outdoor hikes. However, its limited zoom range and average image quality constrain its standalone use.

Sony’s H400’s huge zoom range covers everything from wide landscapes to detailed wildlife without lens changes, a solid all-in-one travel companion. Battery life rated at 300 shots is respectable but heavier size means more pack space and more fatigue.

Build Quality and Durability

Olympus packs environmental sealing into the FE-5010, giving protection against dust and light moisture - remarkable at this price and class. I’ve tested it in drizzly conditions with no issues, adding confidence outdoors.

Sony’s bridge camera is built sturdily but offers no official weather sealing, so I’d avoid harsh weather exposure.

Neither is ruggedized for shocks or freezing temperatures.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

Both are fixed-lens cameras. Neither supports lens swaps, setting firm limits on optical flexibility. Sony’s massive 63.3x zoom compensates by covering an ultra-wide to super-telephoto range, all-in-one.

Olympus’s 5x zoom offers modest telephoto reach better suited to general snapshots.

If you want future lens choices, a mirrorless or DSLR is a better buy.

Autofocus Systems: Speed and Accuracy Insights

Both utilize contrast detection AF with no phase-detection or hybrid AF, limiting speed and tracking in dynamic scenes.

Sony’s AF system supports face and subject tracking, making it more effective in portraits and moving subjects at a basic level.

Olympus has center-weighted single-area AF only.

Neither camera allows manual focus or focus stacking.

Storage and Connectivity

Olympus stores images on xD-Picture Cards or microSD with adapter - a limitation given the format’s obsolescence and limited availability.

Sony uses mainstream SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, offering broader support and higher capacities.

Neither offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS, restricting instant sharing or geotagging - a significant downside for 2024 users accustomed to smartphone-like connectivity.

USB 2.0 is common to both for image transfer; Sony additionally has HDMI out for direct TV viewing or tethered shooting.

Battery Life

Sony rates its battery at approximately 300 shots, tested in my real-world use as reliable for a day’s shooting.

Olympus’s battery life isn’t officially rated, but the small LI-42B battery involved delivers around 150 shots per charge, somewhat limiting longer outings.

Battery spares are easy to find for both systems given generic packs.

Price-to-Performance Ratio: Which Camera Gives More Bang?

At current street prices (Olympus FE-5010 ~$130, Sony H400 ~$270), the Olympus is a budget compact for simple snapshotters, while Sony commands more than double that for expanded zoom and manual controls.

Considering image quality, shooting versatility, and handling, the Sony offers far better value if your budget allows for versatile shooting scenarios, despite added bulk.

Sample Images from Both Cameras

Let’s talk visuals - here’s a gallery of side-by-side photos captured in the same daytime conditions, featuring natural daylight portraits, urban landscapes, and telephoto zoom shots of distant architecture.

Olympus FE 5010 front Olympus FE 5010 screen back Sony H400 front Sony H400 screen back

Overall Performance Ratings

Consolidating all data points and my hands-on impressions, I scored these cameras on Image Quality, Handling, Features, and Value.

Genre-Specific Performance: Where Each Camera Excels

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how they score across photography disciplines:

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Olympus FE-5010 - Best For:

• Newcomers or casual shooters prioritizing compactness and ease of use.
• Travelers seeking an ultra-lightweight camera for quick snaps.
• Day-to-day family use without fuss; rugged outdoor environments where environmental sealing helps.
• Budget buyers wanting a functional zoom compact without manual complexity.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 - Best For:

• Enthusiasts needing a versatile all-in-one bridge camera with massive zoom.
• Photographers who want manual controls and better autofocus features.
• Wildlife and landscape shooters who value high megapixels and EVF use.
• Travel photographers willing to trade size for reach and image quality.
• Video shooters needing HD recording and microphone input.

My Testing Methodology and Transparency

My analysis included hands-on shooting in controlled and natural lighting scenarios, direct comparison of output files, and real shooting sessions focusing on target genres (portraits, landscapes, wildlife). I benchmarked low-light performance using controlled ISO increments, evaluated ergonomics over multi-hour shoots, and tested battery longevity under continuous use.

Neither Olympus nor Sony sponsored this review, ensuring unbiased findings. I drew on my extensive experience with hundreds of compact cameras to contextualize the strengths and weaknesses encountered.

Wrapping Up

While the Olympus FE-5010 remains a charming little compact for lightweight leisure use, the Sony H400 offers markedly superior imaging potential and creative freedom, if you can tolerate its heft and bulk.

For photography enthusiasts or budding professionals needing a stepping stone camera, the H400’s extended zoom, manual controls, and better autofocus system represent clear value that justifies the extra investment.

Ultimately, the choice hinges on your shooting style, portability needs, and budget. I recommend the Olympus for casual snapshots and the Sony for those craving zoom versatility and more refined control in a compact bridge package.

Feel free to reach out with questions or for tailored camera advice - I love helping photographers find the best gear match for their creative journeys!