Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic FS12

Below is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic FS12, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and FS12 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and FS12 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

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The E-1 was manufactured 6 years prior to the FS12 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic FS12 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-1 scores against the FS12 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS12. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic FS12 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you will have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-1 comes with outer dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FS12 has dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic FS12 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-1 compared to the FS12.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and FS12 is 59 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by going through technical specs. The photograph below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and FS12.

As you have seen, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic FS12 will provide extra detail due to its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.