Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic FP3

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-400 versus Panasonic FP3, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and FP3 (14MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and FP3 (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

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The E-400 was brought out 4 years before the FP3 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-400 scores vs the FP3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-400 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Panasonic FP3 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-400 provides outside dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FP3 has measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-400 versus Panasonic FP3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-400 and the FP3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and FP3 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions just by going through technical specs. The image here might provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-400 and FP3.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-400 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic FP3 will produce greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-400 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.