Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony A58

Here, we are reviewing the Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony A58, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the FE-5010 (12MP) and A58 (20MP) and the FE-5010 (1/2.3") and A58 (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

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The FE-5010 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the A58 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-5010 being a Compact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the FE-5010 grades versus the A58 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-5010 & Sony SLT-A58. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-5010 Gallery & Sony A58 Gallery.

In case you're planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-5010 comes with outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 130 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Sony A58 has measurements of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") having a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Compare the Olympus FE-5010 vs Sony A58 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the FE-5010 against the A58.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-5010 and A58 is 96 and 68 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by going over a spec sheet. The pic below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-5010 and A58.

Clearly, the two cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The FE-5010 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony A58 will deliver extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FE-5010 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.