Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-M1

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-M1, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and E-M1 (16MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and E-M1 (Four Thirds) feature different sensor dimensions.

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The FE-5020 was launched 5 years prior to the E-M1 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the FE-5020 grades versus the E-M1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-5020 and Olympus OM-D E-M1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery and Olympus E-M1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-5020 has outside measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Olympus E-M1 has measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-M1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the FE-5020 versus the E-M1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FE-5020 and E-M1 is 95 and 71 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by reading specifications. The picture below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-5020 and E-M1.

To sum up, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The FE-5020 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus E-M1 will offer you extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged FE-5020 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.