Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic FX48

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic FX48, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and FX48 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and FX48 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-1 was launched 6 years before the FX48 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic FX48 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-1 matches up against the FX48 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic FX48 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 offers physical dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FX48 has measurements of 95mm x 53mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.9") with a weight of 150 grams (0.33 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic FX48 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-1 vs the FX48.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and FX48 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing only by checking technical specs. The graphic underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and FX48.

As you have seen, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-1 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FX48 will resolve greater detail utilizing its extra 7MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.