Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FP2

Below is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FP2, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FP2 (14MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FP2 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was released 5 years before the FP2 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FP2 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-500 matches up vs the FP2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic FP2 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account 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") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FP2 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FP2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-500 against the FP2.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and FP2 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to envision the difference between sensor measurements merely by reviewing technical specs. The visual here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and FP2.

As you have seen, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-500 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FP2 will offer you extra detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.