Overview
The Olympus FE-5020 is small enough to fit into most pockets. In terms of price it is one of the cheaper models of its type. It has a fairly basic set of features. The upside of this is it helps to make the FE-5020 straightforward and easy to use. Olympus has given the camera an extra wide, 5x optical zoom lens. This is a 12 megapixel model. Other features include a 2.7 inch LCD screen.
The camera comes in four colours. These are black, white, blue and brown. Olympus has adopted a two layer finish. This helps to give the camera a shiny appearance.
Why Buy The Olympus FE-5020
I can see this camera being attractive owing to its reasonable price, size, style and ease of use.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
5x
2.7 inches
92.7 x 55.8 x 24.7mm
107g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
No
No
Lithium ion
xD / MicroSD
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
The FE-5020 gets off to a solid start. The brightness of the photo is good and the colours compliment each other well. There is a loss of detail in the shady areas of the shot where the camera could do with a touch more light to work with.
Looking at this picture I can see darkness creeping into the corners of the shot. This is especially noticeable in the sky. This could pose a problem any time when the lens is zoomed all the way out. You will also have to be careful when it comes to print sizes when the lens is zoomed out. There are no major issues with smaller, snapshot sized prints, but you might start to notice a loss of sharpness if you get over enthusiastic with the size of the prints you make.
In terms of quality this shot sits somewhere in the mid range. There are minor niggles such as a loss of detail on the white boats and sharpness is a degree or two below what some of the better cameras are capable of.
With the zoom neither fully extended nor zoomed all the way out the FE-5020 is at its most comfortable. I am impressed by the sharpness of this shot. When the photo is blown up you can make out the individual bricks in the building.
Portraits
I find this test shot darker than I would like it to be. Although the FE-5020 is able to take a photo that is a decent enough snapshot the result should do a bit better.
This is a good effort for a cheaper, pocket camera. As with the outdoor portrait the main difference you will find between the FE-5020 and more advanced cameras is related to the lighting in the shot. In this instance the darker areas, such as the hair suffer from a lack of light and therefore a loss of detail.
A small amount of noise shows here. Again this will have an impact of the size of prints you can make before the loss of quality really becomes an issue.
Macro, Colours and Noise
I am happy with the quality of my close up test shot. The model I had for testing was white. This colour coupled with the reflective surface of the camera can make it difficult to avoid reflection of the camera if you are also photographing a reflective object.
Olympus digital cameras tend to produce subtler colours than some other brands. Examples of this include the colour of the sky in my outdoor shots.
I felt the FE-5020 handled noise levels well for a camera in this price bracket.
Summary
Taking into account the price, small size of the camera and also the extra wide angle lens I am happy with the quality of my test shots. You can get better quality if you step up to a more expensive camera and that is fair enough.
Style
This is a compact camera with a simple design.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.49 seconds
13.58 seconds
1.57 seconds
17.27 seconds
2.69 seconds
Ease of Use
With a standard set of features there is not a lot to trip you up.
Points I Like
Ease of use - price for a small, compact camera
Where it Could Improve
Photos could be brighter in places - shutter delay
Verdict
On the whole the Olympus FE-5020 does the job it sets out to do. Picture quality is suitable for snapshots and ease of use is a major strength. There are one of two compromises made to keep the price down. These include a couple of picture quality niggles and a slower shutter response.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Olympus FE-5020 Review Olympus FE-5020 Specification Olympus FE-5020 Sample Images Olympus FE-5020 Features
Review Date
October 2009
