Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH22

Here, we are comparing the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FH22, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FH22 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FH22 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was announced 18 months earlier than the FH22 making them a generation away from one another. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH22 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-420 scores against the FH22 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH22. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic FH22 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-420 has outside dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic FH22 has measurements of 100mm x 57mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") having a weight of 170 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FH22 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the E-420 compared to the FH22.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and FH22 is 77 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to picture the gap in sensor sizes just by checking out a spec sheet. The image here may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-420 and FH22.

Clearly, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH22 will show extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.