Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic FP5

Here is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-330 and Panasonic FP5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the E-330 (7MP) and FP5 (14MP) and the E-330 (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-330 was revealed 5 years earlier than the FP5 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-330 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-330 scores vs the FP5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-330 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-330 Gallery & Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-330 has got outer dimensions of 140mm x 87mm x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Panasonic FP5 has specifications of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-330 and Panasonic FP5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-330 and the FP5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-330 and FP5 is 65 and 95 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing just by looking at specs. The visual underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-330 and FP5.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-330 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic FP5 will give greater detail because of its extra 7MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-330 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.