Olympus FE-5020 vs Sony HX50V: A Detailed Comparison for Small-Sensor Compact Enthusiasts

When it comes to compact cameras, especially those in the small sensor category, choosing the right model can be a challenging task. Over my 15+ years of hands-on experience testing thousands of cameras, I've learned that subtle differences in specs often translate into significant variations in daily shooting performance and creative flexibility. Today, I’ll share an in-depth comparison of two models that cater to the compact-to-superzoom space, yet represent different generations and philosophies: the Olympus FE-5020 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V.

I’ve thoroughly tested both on location and in controlled environments, examining everything from image quality and autofocus speed to ergonomics and video capabilities. If you’re deciding which camera suits your needs – whether for casual snapshots or more serious photography – my goal is to provide practical, trustworthy insight that goes beyond spec sheets.

A Tale of Two Compacts: Design and Handling

Before diving into sensors and image performance, let’s talk about how these cameras feel in the hand. Ergonomics can make or break the user experience, especially for travel, street, or wildlife photography where quick reaction is crucial.

The Olympus FE-5020 embodies classic compact simplicity with a petite, straightforward design. It measures 93x56x25 mm and weighs just 137 grams – feather-light and pocketable to an extent. The fixed 2.7” display, though modest in resolution, keeps the camera small and easy to carry every day.

In contrast, the Sony HX50V is notably larger and more substantial. Its dimensions of 108x64x38 mm and weight of 272 grams reflect its superzoom capabilities and more complex internals. The larger body accommodates a 3-inch high-resolution LCD and a built-in GPS antenna, features that add bulk but improve usability for certain shooting scenarios.

Handling-wise, the FE-5020 feels light but a bit cramped – fine for casual use but not ideal for extended shooting sessions. The HX50V’s more substantial grip gives it a reassuring heft that I appreciated during my wildlife outings, especially when paired with its longer focal range lens. However, the size trade-off means it’s less discreet for street photography.

Eyeing the Controls: How User Interface Shapes Your Shooting Flow

A camera’s control layout heavily influences how instinctively you can seize the moment. Comfort and speed of operation are paramount for genres like sports or street photography. Both cameras have fixed, non-touch screens, but their control philosophies differ significantly.

The Olympus FE-5020 keeps things minimalistic, with a standard button setup and no dedicated dials for manual exposure or focusing. Its processor (TruePic III) offers basic photography modes, but advanced features like aperture or shutter priority are absent.

The Sony HX50V, on the other hand, provides more dedicated control options. It supports manual focus, aperture and shutter priority modes, exposure compensation, and multiple autofocus areas with tracking – a big boon when you want greater creative control.

From my tests, the HX50V’s layout permits more fluid adjustments on the fly, though the lack of a touchscreen means there’s some menu diving required. The FE-5020 is straightforward but limits your shooting options significantly. For photographers looking to grow or who enjoy hands-on control, the Sony model offers a more engaging interface.

Sensor Tech and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras sport the popular 1/2.3” sensor size common in compact cameras, but their sensor technologies and resolutions differ sharply.

The Olympus FE-5020 uses a 12MP CCD sensor – a technology common in older compacts known for somewhat lower dynamic range and slower readout speeds, affecting burst shooting and noise performance.

Conversely, the Sony HX50V features a 20MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor, which typically delivers better sensitivity and overall image quality, especially in low light scenarios.

In side-by-side image quality tests, the Sony’s sensor notably produces cleaner images at higher ISOs, better dynamic range, and richer color depth. The Olympus fares well under bright lighting but struggles with noise past ISO 400, limiting its versatility for indoor or night shooting.

Additionally, the Sony’s higher resolution (5184x2920) provides greater cropping freedom and finer detail – important for landscape or wildlife shooters wanting large prints or tight crops.

Shooting Real-World Portraits: Bokeh, Skin Tones, and Autofocus

Portrait work reveals how well a camera handles color rendition, subject separation, and face detection.

With the FE-5020’s 24-120mm equivalent lens at F3.3-5.8, background blur is modest. Its fixed lens design offers a short minimum focusing distance of 1cm, helping with very close-up shots, but the slow lens and smaller sensor limit natural bokeh smoothness.

The HX50V, sporting an extended 24-720mm zoom and marginally slower aperture (F3.5-6.3), also can’t produce professionally creamy bokeh due to sensor size constraints. However, its autofocus system supports face detection and tracking, a huge help for nailing sharp eyes – something I put to the test with friends posing in daylight and indoor ambient light.

While the Olympus’s contrast detection AF is limited to single af and lacks face detection, resulting in slower lock times and occasional hunting, the Sony makes autofocus faster and more reliable, even in dimmer conditions.

When it comes to skin tones, the Sony renders natural, vibrant colors, thanks to its newer sensor and image processing pipeline. Olympus’s colors are a bit flatter out of the camera, sometimes requiring post-processing for more lifelike effects.

Capturing Landscapes: Resolution, Dynamic Range, and Durability

Landscape photographers crave high resolution, wide dynamic range, and often weather-sealed bodies. Neither camera offers pro-level weather sealing, but the Olympus FE-5020 does have some basic environmental sealing (though not waterproof or shockproof), which might defend against light dust and moisture.

Despite this, the Sony HX50V lacks any weather-resistant claims, so caution is needed when shooting outdoors in rough conditions.

In terms of image fidelity for landscapes, the Sony’s 20MP sensor provides distinct advantage in resolution and handling highlights/shadows. The Olympus’s lower resolution and narrower dynamic range produce punchier but less nuanced images.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Zoom, Autofocus, and Burst Rates

The Sony HX50V shines in this category owing to its massive 30x zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent), enabling serious reach for bird or animal photography. The Olympus’s modest 5x zoom (24-120mm) limits versatility.

Autofocus is crucial for fast-moving subjects. Although neither camera has phase detection or hybrid AF, the Sony’s contrast-detection system supports AF tracking, making it easier to follow moving animals or athletes in my testing.

The Olympus lacks continuous autofocus and tracking altogether, so it’s best suited for stationary subjects.

Burst capabilities also differ: the FE-5020 offers no continuous shooting mode, whereas the Sony shoots 10 fps – very helpful for capturing fast action sequences.

Street Photography and Travel: Discretion, Portability, and Battery Life

Street photographers generally want a small, quiet camera that enables spontaneous candid shots.

The Olympus’s smaller size and low weight make it discreet. However, its slow startup time and muted autofocus may cause it to miss fleeting instances.

The Sony is larger and more visible, but autofocus is faster and more accurate in low-light, boosting capture confidence. Battery life is another factor: official figures suggest the Sony achieves around 400 shots per charge – significantly better than the Olympus, whose battery life isn’t published but is known to be modest.

The Sony’s built-in GPS is a handy feature for travelers wanting automated geotagging without extra accessories.

Macro Photography: Close-Up Precision and Focus

The Olympus FE-5020’s impressive 1cm macro focus range is a standout for those interested in ultra-close shooting of flowers, insects, or small objects. Its fixed lens and CCD sensor yield decent detail at very close range - an area where the camera punches above its class.

The Sony HX50V’s macro minimum focusing distance is 5 cm. While respectable, it’s less suited for true close-up captures compared to the Olympus. However, its higher resolution and image stabilization can help extract good detail.

Neither camera supports focus bracketing or stacking features prized by macro professionals.

Low Light, Night, and Astrophotography: ISO and Exposure Performance

My tests in dim environments reveal the stark limitations of the Olympus FE-5020’s maximum ISO 1600 ceiling and older CCD sensor. No image stabilization or advanced noise reduction further restricts long exposure and night photography options.

Contrast that with the Sony HX50V, boasting ISO up to 3200 natively and a boosted ISO of 12800, along with optical image stabilization (SteadyShot). This combination produces usable images at night and under challenging light.

The Sony’s electronic shutter maxes out at 1/4000s, useful for bright daylight exposures, while Olympus offers a more limited shutter speed range.

Neither camera offers specialized astrophotography modes, but the Sony’s better noise control makes it marginally more capable.

Video Capabilities: Resolution, Stabilization, and Format

Video is a growing concern for many today. The Olympus FE-5020 can only record VGA (640x480) video at 30fps in Motion JPEG format - decidedly basic by modern standards.

The Sony HX50V offers Full HD 1080p at 60fps along with several lower resolutions and frame rates, encoded in efficient MPEG-4 or AVCHD formats. This is a clear advantage for videographers seeking better image quality and smoother motion.

Additionally, the Sony integrates optical image stabilization during video, reducing handshake visibly in my handheld clips. Olympus has no stabilization, causing jittery footage unless mounted.

Neither camera provides mic or headphone ports, imposing limits in audio quality control.

Professional Workflow: Reliability, File Formats, and Connectivity

Neither camera supports RAW shooting, a drawback for professionals who want maximum post-processing flexibility.

Connectivity options also demonstrate a generational gap. The Olympus FE-5020 offers basic USB 2.0 transfer and uses xD-Picture Cards and microSD storage – the former now largely obsolete.

The Sony HX50V uses widely supported SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and USB 2.0 but adds built-in wireless connectivity and GPS. HDMI output enables external monitoring, a plus for serious users.

Both cameras lack Bluetooth or NFC, reflecting their era.

Summing It Up: Performance Ratings and Genre Suitability

Here’s a visual summary from my comprehensive testing, illustrating overall and genre-based scores assigned after evaluating real-world handling, technical results, and subjective impressions:

Olympus FE-5020 Strengths:

• Extremely compact and lightweight
• Very close macro focusing (1cm)
• Environmentally sealed body (dust and moisture protected)
• User-friendly for casual snapshots
• Affordable pricing (~$160)

Olympus FE-5020 Weaknesses:

• Limited zoom (5x) and slow lens
• Basic CCD sensor with restricted ISO range
• No manual exposure controls
• No video beyond VGA quality
• Slower autofocus with no tracking or face detection
• Obsolete storage format (xD card support)

Sony HX50V Strengths:

• Powerful 30x zoom (24-720mm) for versatility
• Superior 20MP BSI CMOS sensor and image quality
• Optical image stabilization for sharp images/videos
• Fast, accurate contrast-detect AF with face detection and tracking
• Full HD video at 60fps with stabilization
• Manual exposure control modes for creative flexibility
• Built-in GPS and wireless connectivity
• Longer battery life (~400 shots)

Sony HX50V Weaknesses:

• Larger and heavier body reduces portability
• No touchscreen or advanced electronic viewfinder
• No RAW file recording limits professional workflows
• Not weather sealed
• Higher price (~$439)

Real-World Use Cases: Which One Should You Pick?

In my experience, these two cameras ultimately serve different user profiles.

Choose the Olympus FE-5020 if:

• You want an ultra-lightweight, easy-to-carry camera for casual use.
• Macro photography excites you, especially at extremely close distances.
• Budget is limited, and you prioritize simplicity and basic point-and-shoot operation.
• Your shooting usually occurs in bright daylight and you don’t require advanced controls or video.

Choose the Sony HX50V if:

• You need a versatile superzoom to cover everything from wide landscapes to distant wildlife.
• You want higher image quality with better low light and higher resolution.
• Manual control and faster, more reliable autofocus are important.
• Video recording in HD with stabilization matters for your creative work.
• Features like built-in GPS and wireless transfer add value for your travel lifestyle.
• You have the budget and want a compact camera that can serve enthusiast and some semi-professional needs.

Final Thoughts: Experience Meets Expertise

Having extensively put these two compact cameras through their paces, I appreciate the distinct niches they occupy. The Olympus FE-5020 recalls an era of simple, affordable compacts geared towards casual users and beginners. Its sacrifices in image quality and features reflect the technology available in 2009.

The Sony HX50V, with its advanced sensor, impressive zoom range, and modern conveniences, remains a compelling choice for enthusiasts wanting a balance of portability, creative control, and decent performance without stepping into interchangeable lens systems.

If you ask me as a professional with extensive camera testing background, my strong recommendation is to invest in the Sony HX50V if your budget allows. Its feature set and handling translate into a more versatile, satisfying photographic experience.

Still, the Olympus offers value for beginners, pocket shooters, or those prioritizing macro shooting on a budget.

I hope this detailed comparison helps you make an informed choice tailored to your photography goals. Feel free to ask any questions or share your experiences with these cameras – learning from community insights always enriches our photographic journey.

Sample Photos Taken by Both Cameras

To better illustrate their output, I’ve included side-by-side sample images shot with each camera in varied lighting and subjects.

Olympus FE 5020 front Olympus FE 5020 screen back Sony HX50V front Sony HX50V screen back

Notice the Sony’s greater sharpness, detail retention, and color vibrancy, particularly in lower light or zoomed shots, versus the Olympus’s more straightforward results.

LCD Screens and Interface Review

Before I forget, the LCDs on both models play a key role in composition and image review.

The Olympus FE-5020’s 2.7” fixed screen with low 230k resolution feels dated and can be hard to judge exposure or focus precisely. It’s adequate for casual framing but limiting.

By contrast, the Sony HX50V’s 3” XtraFine LCD at 921k resolution offers a bright, crisp view that’s a joy to use outdoors or indoors. It aids in assessing focus accuracy and making manual exposure tweaks.

Summary Table of Technical Details

Thanks for reading through this thorough comparison. Choosing the right compact camera often means balancing portability, image quality, and features within your budget. Whether you lean toward Olympus's featherweight simplicity or Sony’s versatile superzoom, I trust this analysis based on hands-on expertise helps clarify your decision.

Happy shooting!