Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-PL1

The following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-PL1, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both designed by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the FE-5020 (12MP) and the E-PL1 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and E-PL1 (Four Thirds) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The FE-5020 was manufactured 9 months prior to the E-PL1 so they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the FE-5020 grades versus the E-PL1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5020 and Olympus PEN E-PL1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery and Olympus E-PL1 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus FE-5020 provides exterior measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL1 has specifications of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs).

See the Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-PL1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the FE-5020 and the E-PL1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the FE-5020 and E-PL1 is 95 and 86 respectively.

Typically, its tough to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions just by going through technical specs. The image here should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-5020 and E-PL1.

As you can tell, both of the cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels albeit different sensor dimensions. The FE-5020 uses the smaller sensor which is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder. The more aged FE-5020 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.