Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-P5

Here, we will be matching up the Olympus FE-5020 versus Olympus E-P5, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and E-P5 (16MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and E-P5 (Four Thirds) have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5020 was manufactured 5 years earlier than the E-P5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the FE-5020 matches up vs the E-P5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus FE-5020 & Olympus PEN E-P5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery & Olympus E-P5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-5020 comes with outer 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) and the Olympus E-P5 has dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus FE-5020 versus Olympus E-P5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the FE-5020 compared to the E-P5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-5020 and E-P5 is 95 and 85 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing merely by going over technical specs. The photograph below will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-5020 and E-P5.

As you can tell, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FE-5020 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will offer extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older FE-5020 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.