Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH5

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-420 versus Panasonic FH5, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-420 was introduced 3 years earlier than the FH5 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-420 matches up against the FH5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-420 has outside measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH5 has measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") and a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-420 versus Panasonic FH5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 vs the FH5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and FH5 is 77 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through specifications. The photograph below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and FH5.

To sum up, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-420 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FH5 will provide you with greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.