Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH20

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FH20, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FH20 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FH20 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-420 was unveiled 18 months earlier than the FH20 making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-420 scores vs the FH20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 features exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has specifications of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") having a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FH20 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-420 compared to the FH20.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and FH20 is 77 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by checking out specifications. The pic here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and FH20.

To sum up, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH20 will produce greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be behind in sensor tech.