Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic FS42

The following is a in depth review of the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic FS42, one is a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was manufactured 6 years before the FS42 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-1 scores against the FS42 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-1 offers physical 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 FS42 has dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic FS42 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-1 and the FS42.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and FS42 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The image underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-1 and FS42.

Clearly, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-1 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FS42 will offer you more detail due to its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.