Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic FH8

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic FH8, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and FH8 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and FH8 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

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The E-1 was introduced 9 years prior to the FH8 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-1 matches up against the FH8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic FH8 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 has physical measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Panasonic FH8 has sizing of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic FH8 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-1 vs the FH8.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and FH8 is 59 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to see the contrast between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The visual here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and FH8.

Clearly, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-1 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FH8 will give extra detail using its extra 11 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.