Olympus 5010 vs Samsung NX mini

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus 5010 and Samsung NX mini, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Samsung. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the 5010 (14MP) and NX mini (20.5MP) and the 5010 (1/2.3") and NX mini (1") posses different sensor sizing.

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The 5010 was revealed 5 years prior to the NX mini and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Samsung NX mini being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the 5010 matches up versus the NX mini in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 5010 and Samsung NX mini. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 5010 Gallery and Samsung NX mini Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 5010 offers outside dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Samsung NX mini has dimensions of 110mm x 62mm x 23mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 196 grams (0.43 lbs).

Check the Olympus 5010 and Samsung NX mini in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the 5010 versus the NX mini.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the 5010 and NX mini is 96 and 93 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching a spec sheet. The photograph below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 5010 and NX mini.

As you can see, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 5010 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Samsung NX mini will render more detail because of its extra 6.5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The older 5010 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.