Olympus FE-5020 vs Sony A290

Here, we are looking at the Olympus FE-5020 and Sony A290, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the FE-5020 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5020 was announced 10 months before the A290 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the FE-5020 grades versus the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-5020 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-5020 comes with external dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus FE-5020 and Sony A290 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the FE-5020 vs the A290.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-5020 and A290 is 95 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizes simply by checking out specs. The picture below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the FE-5020 and A290.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FE-5020 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Sony A290 will provide greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged FE-5020 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.