Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH8

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH8, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FH8 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FH8 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was manufactured 4 years prior to the FH8 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-420 scores against the FH8 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic FH8 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 comes with outside dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic FH8 has sizing of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FH8 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 versus the FH8.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and FH8 is 77 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes simply by looking at technical specs. The picture here might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and FH8.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-420 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FH8 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.