Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FP8

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic FP8, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FP8 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FP8 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was manufactured 4 years prior to the FP8 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FP8 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-500 grades vs the FP8 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic FP8 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 features outside measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FP8 has specifications of 96mm x 60mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 0.8") with a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic FP8 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-500 versus the FP8.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and FP8 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizing simply by going through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and FP8.

Clearly, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FP8 will provide greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.