Olympus FE-5020 vs Pentax ist DS2

In this write-up, we will be comparing the Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax ist DS2, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5020 was manufactured 3 years after the ist DS2 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the FE-5020 scores vs the ist DS2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus FE-5020 & Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus FE-5020 has physical measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Pentax ist DS2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax ist DS2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the FE-5020 vs the ist DS2.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the FE-5020 and ist DS2 is 95 and 68 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions only by checking specifications. The picture below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-5020 and ist DS2.

To sum up, the two cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The FE-5020 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus FE-5020 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more recent FE-5020 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.