Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic FH1

Here, we will be matching up the Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic FH1, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the FH1 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the E-400 (Four Thirds) and FH1 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-400 was unveiled 4 years earlier than the FH1 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-400 scores vs the FH1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-400 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Panasonic FH1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-400 has outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH1 has proportions of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic FH1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-400 vs the FH1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and FH1 is 77 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements simply by going through technical specs. The visual below might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-400 and FH1.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-400 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Panasonic FH1 will produce greater detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older E-400 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.