Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic FH7

In this article, we are analyzing the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic FH7, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and FH7 (16MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-5 was revealed 7 months prior to the FH7 and they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-5 matches up against the FH7 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-5 has got external dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Panasonic FH7 has proportions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic FH7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-5 against the FH7.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-5 and FH7 is 58 and 96 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing specs. The image underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-5 and FH7.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-5 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH7 will result in more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged E-5 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.