Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FX700

Below is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FX700, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FX700 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FX700 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-420 was brought out 3 years before the FX700 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FX700 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-420 grades vs the FX700 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic FX700 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 provides outer dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic FX700 has specifications of 104mm x 56mm x 25mm (4.1" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 176 grams (0.39 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic FX700 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-420 against the FX700.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and FX700 is 77 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by checking a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-420 and FX700.

Clearly, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-420 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FX700 will resolve extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-420 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.