Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FH2

In this article, we will be comparing the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FH2, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and FH2 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and FH2 (1/2.3") use different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was announced 3 years before the FH2 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FH2 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a in depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-3 grades against the FH2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Panasonic FH2 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 has physical dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Panasonic FH2 has proportions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

See the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FH2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-3 versus the FH2.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and FH2 is 56 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements purely by researching specs. The visual here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and FH2.

All in all, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-3 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FH2 will provide you with extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.