Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic FX78

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic FX78, former being a Pro DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and FX78 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and FX78 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was announced 8 years before the FX78 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-1 scores against the FX78 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Panasonic FX78 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 enjoys outside dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Panasonic FX78 has sizing of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic FX78 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-1 vs the FX78.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and FX78 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing only by checking out specs. The photograph underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-1 and FX78.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-1 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FX78 will produce more detail with its extra 7MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.