Olympus FE-5020 vs Olympus E-PL6

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus FE-5020 and Olympus E-PL6, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are created by Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and E-PL6 (16MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and E-PL6 (Four Thirds) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5020 was revealed 6 years earlier than the E-PL6 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the FE-5020 grades against the E-PL6 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-5020 and Olympus PEN E-PL6. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery and Olympus E-PL6 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus FE-5020 comes with outer dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL6 has dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus FE-5020 and Olympus E-PL6 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the FE-5020 and the E-PL6.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the FE-5020 and E-PL6 is 95 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to envision the contrast in sensor sizing purely by seeing specs. The photograph underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FE-5020 and E-PL6.

All in all, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FE-5020 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-PL6 will produce extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The older FE-5020 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.