Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH10

In this write-up, we are reviewing the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FH10, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FH10 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FH10 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

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The E-420 was brought out 5 years before the FH10 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH10 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-420 matches up against the FH10 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH10. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic FH10 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 enjoys exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic FH10 has specifications of 94mm x 54mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FH10 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 and the FH10.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and FH10 is 77 and 97 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions simply by looking at a spec sheet. The pic here will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and FH10.

Clearly, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FH10 will give you greater detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be behind in sensor tech.