Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony HX30V

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus FE-5010 and Sony HX30V, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and HX30V (18MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The FE-5010 was released 4 years earlier than the HX30V which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple view of how the FE-5010 scores versus the HX30V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-5010 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The complete galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Sony HX30V Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus FE-5010 has external measurements 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 HX30V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") having a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Olympus FE-5010 and Sony HX30V in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the FE-5010 compared to the HX30V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-5010 and HX30V is 96 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-5010 and HX30V.

Clearly, the two cameras feature the identical sensor size but different resolution. You should expect to see the Sony HX30V to give extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged FE-5010 is going to be behind in sensor technology.