Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony RX10

The following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus FE-5010 and Sony RX10, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and RX10 (20MP) and the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and RX10 (1") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5010 was unveiled 6 years prior to the RX10 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the FE-5010 grades versus the RX10 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5010 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus FE-5010 offers external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) while the Sony RX10 has specifications of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") and a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus FE-5010 and Sony RX10 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the FE-5010 and the RX10.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-5010 and RX10 is 96 and 58 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by checking out a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-5010 and RX10.

As you can see, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FE-5010 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Sony RX10 will show greater detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FE-5010 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.