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Olympus FE-45

 
Olympus FE-45 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 36-108mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 142g - 94 x 62 x 23mm
  • Announced January 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
33
Features
14
Overall
25

Olympus FE-45 summary

Olympus FE-45 is Olympus's Small Sensor Compact digital camera first launched on January of 2009. It has a 10 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a max resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The FE-45 places at #253 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & over-all #1250 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should check out our Smart camera filter to get camera listings based on your customized criteria.

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The following is a diagram of different factors used in the rating system.

Olympus FE-45 history

The Olympus FE-45 is part of a family of products. You can view the complete range below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Olympus-FE-4030 front thumbnailOlympus FE-4030
FE-45 vs FE-4030
26-105mm
F2.6-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Olympus-FE-47 front thumbnailOlympus FE-47
FE-45 vs FE-47
36-180mm
F3.5-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2010
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Olympus-FE-4000 front thumbnailOlympus FE-4000
FE-45 vs FE-4000
26-105mm
F2.6-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Olympus-FE-5020 front thumbnailOlympus FE-5020
FE-45 vs FE-5020
24-120mm
F3.3-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Olympus-FE-45 front thumbnailOlympus FE-4536-108mm
F3.1-5.9
10MP1/2.3"2009
Olympus-FE-5010 front thumbnailOlympus FE-5010
FE-45 vs FE-5010
36-180mm
F3.5-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2009
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Olympus FE-45 Pros and Cons

Below is a collection of positives and negatives of the Olympus FE-45 based on factors that are typically considered crucial in a digital camera.

above average minimum ISO (64)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
has built in flash
in built lens has zoom (36-108mm 3.0 x zoom)
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
external flash not possible
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of manual focus
lack of phase detect autofocus
lack of RAW support
low resolution sensor (10MP)
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
no HDMI socket
no headphone socket
no manual control
no microphone socket
no moving screen
no shutter priority mode
no Timelapse mode
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dots)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow at tele end (f5.9)
slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
small screen (2.5 inches)
small sensor (1/2.3")
wide angle not fantastic (36mm)
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Olympus FE-45 Sensor specifications

The sensor specification on the Olympus FE-45 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to capture 3648 x 2736 pixels and aspect ratios of 16:9, 4:3 and 3:2. The camera features Image Stabilization (Digital). Optical stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 10MP and has a standard ISO range of 64 to 1600. Sadly, RAW format is not saved which means that you have less margin for error.

The image below shows the FE-45's sensor dimensions in comparison to other popular sizes. The FE-45 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is outlined in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Olympus FE-45 dimensions

Olympus FE-45 weighs 0.31 lb (142 grams / 5.01 ounces) & the volume of the camera is 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams and the Olympus FE-45 is less heavy in comparison with its competitors.

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The following is a photo of the Olympus FE-45 with a soda so you can get a feel for its scale.

Olympus FE-45 dimensions scale

The top view below will provide the button layout on the FE-45.

Olympus FE-45 topview buttons dials

Olympus FE-45 Lens specifications

The FE-45 provides a built-in lens and it has a focal range of 36-108mm giving it a 3.0 x zoom which isn't ideal however it can be very helpful in a few situations.

At the widest 36mm, it features an aperture of f3.1 which will be quite slow and not ideal for low light events and you will probably struggle to get good bokeh. You will also need to up the ISO giving you noisy images. For the tele end, 108mm comes with f5.9 making it very sluggish and you might need to utilize slower shutter speeds.

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Olympus FE-45 Connectivity

The FE-45 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras with NFC or Bluetooth support are able to be used wirelessly via smartphones. You are able to send files and usually alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.

Many applications even stream a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not close to the camera. If the camera has a HDMI port, it can easily be attached to an external screen. Most cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB port.

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Olympus FE-45 Video specifications

The max video resolution on the Olympus FE-45 is 640 x 480 and you can shoot in Motion JPEG file format. 480p is low for today's standards. You should strive for at least FUll HD resolution for good video. The camera does not have a microphone or headphone socket which means you have got little control over the sound. It is probably a better idea to take a look at an alternative camera if you require better sound for your videos.

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Olympus FE-45 Weather Sealing

There is no environment proofing in the Olympus FE-45 so you need to be careful in rainy and dusty situations.

Olympus FE-45 Screen and Viewfinder

The Olympus FE-45 has a 2.5 inch fixed display supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Please be aware that the display screen has no touch support.

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The View Finder specs for Olympus FE-45 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be very helpful in bright outdoor situations which may make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.

Olympus FE-45 Shutter specifications

The highest shutter speed is 1/2000s.

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Olympus FE-45 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Olympus FE-45 features only inbuilt flash lacking external flash support.

Olympus FE-45 Autofocus specifications

Olympus FE-45 features just Contrast Based AF & doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot faster & accurate in comparison with Contrast Based autofocusing.

Olympus FE-45 lacks manual focusing. Manual focusing mode can be useful in low light conditions or you want to have more exact control on focus.

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Olympus FE-45 Battery life

The usual Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 offers the maximum (470) battery life in this class of cameras.

Underneath is a listing of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the highest battery life:

Olympus FE-45 for different forms of photography

The following bar chart shows a summary of the Olympus FE-45 for different forms of photography. To look at more, browse to the specific section below.

Portrait photography with Olympus FE-45

The Olympus FE-45 receives a rating of 19 which is subpar, and means the camera is just not very good to use for portrait photos. Photographing portraits leans greatly towards sensor specs, RAW support along with the ability to work with external flash.

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manual focus not available
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW support

Olympus FE-45 Street photography features

Coming in at a reasonable points tally of 56, the Olympus FE-45 is somewhat suited to use in street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of picture quality and portability.

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has image stabilization (Digital)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files

Sports photography with Olympus FE-45

A subpar sports photography rating of 26 means the Olympus FE-45 is just not very good for photographing sports. A camera needs to have fantastic autofocus and shutter speeds for sports photography.

OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus
has image stabilization (Digital)
lack of shutter priority mode
MP count low (10MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect auto focus

Olympus FE-45 Travel photography details

Portability is super important in buying a travel camera. On the whole, the Olympus FE-45 gets a average 51 for a travelling camera which makes it somewhat adequate to take with you on your holidays.

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built-in flash
no Timelapse mode
MP count low (10MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (36mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)

Olympus FE-45 as a Landscape photography camera

For anybody who is planning to pick a digital camera for landscape photos, the most vital factor will no doubt be image quality. The Olympus FE-45 and it's subpar score of 27 as a landscape camera is just not very good compared to its competition.

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has image stabilization (Digital)
lack of manual focus
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (36mm)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
screen is small (2.5 inches)
manual mode not available
low megapixels (10MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
doesn't have Timelapse recording

Olympus FE-45 Vlogging details

A vlogging camera should really posses a articulating display screen, mic input and if possible image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Olympus FE-45 is just not very good for vlogging as it delivers a subpar score of 25.

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has image stabilization (Digital)
wide angle not good (36mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
display isn't selfie friendly
low res video (640 x 480 resolution)
doesn't have external mic support

Olympus FE-45 Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the FE-45, below is a selection of the highest scored cameras which fall within the category of Small Sensor Compact.

The line chart listed below gives you a bird's eye view of the FE-45 vs it's highest scored rivals suggested earlier.

Following are additional cameras you might see as alternate options. To read through a thorough comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Olympus
Model type
Olympus FE-45
Category
Small Sensor Compact
Announced
2009-01-07
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
16:9, 4:3 and 3:2
Highest Possible resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW photos
Maximum native ISO
1600
Minimum native ISO
64
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
36-108mm (3.0x)
Maximum aperture
f/3.1-5.9
Macro focusing range
5cm
Focal length multiplier
5.9
Screen
Type of screen
Fixed Type
Screen size
2.5 inches
Screen resolution
230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Min shutter speed
4 seconds
Max shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash settings
Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Off, On
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Maximum video resolution
640x480
Video data format
Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
142 gr (0.31 lbs)
Physical dimensions
94 x 62 x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9")
Other
Self timer
Yes (12 seconds)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
xD-Picture Card, microSD, internal
Card slots
One
Launch cost
$130