Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FH6

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic FH6, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FH6 (14MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FH6 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

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The E-500 was unveiled 7 years prior to the FH6 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FH6 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-500 grades against the FH6 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic FH6 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 provides exterior measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Panasonic FH6 has dimensions of 96mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs).

See the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic FH6 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-500 versus the FH6.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and FH6 is 70 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizes just by going over technical specs. The image below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and FH6.

As you can tell, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-500 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH6 will deliver greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be behind in sensor tech.