Olympus FE-5020 vs Sony A99

Here is a in depth analysis of the Olympus FE-5020 and Sony A99, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and A99 (24MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The FE-5020 was manufactured 4 years prior to the A99 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the FE-5020 matches up vs the A99 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-5020 and Sony SLT-A99. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery and Sony A99 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus FE-5020 has outside measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Sony A99 has sizing of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Look at the Olympus FE-5020 and Sony A99 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view scale comparison of the FE-5020 compared to the A99.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FE-5020 and A99 is 95 and 57 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to see the gap in sensor sizing just by researching a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-5020 and A99.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FE-5020 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony A99 will result in extra detail due to its extra 12MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older FE-5020 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.