Olympus FE-5020 vs Pentax K-01

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax K-01, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and K-01 (16MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

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The FE-5020 was revealed 3 years before the K-01 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short summary of how the FE-5020 matches up vs the K-01 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5020 & Pentax K-01. The full galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery & Pentax K-01 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus FE-5020 features exterior dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Pentax K-01 has specifications of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") accompanied by a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

See the Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax K-01 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the FE-5020 versus the K-01.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FE-5020 and K-01 is 95 and 76 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements simply by reviewing technical specs. The graphic underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-5020 and K-01.

As you have seen, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FE-5020 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-01 will offer more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older FE-5020 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.