Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic FP3

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic FP3, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-450 (10MP) and FP3 (14MP) and the E-450 (Four Thirds) and FP3 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-450 was manufactured 9 months prior to the FP3 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-450 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-450 grades against the FP3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-450 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-450 Gallery and Panasonic FP3 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-450 provides physical measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic FP3 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic FP3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-450 versus the FP3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-450 and FP3 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing merely by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-450 and FP3.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-450 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FP3 will render greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-450 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.