Olympus FE-45 vs Panasonic L1

Following is a complete assessment of the Olympus FE-45 and Panasonic L1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the FE-45 (10MP) and L1 (7MP) and the FE-45 (1/2.3") and L1 (Four Thirds) offer different sensor sizes.

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The FE-45 was manufactured 22 months after the L1 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick overview of how the FE-45 grades against the L1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus FE-45 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus FE-45 Gallery & Panasonic L1 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-45 provides outside measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Panasonic L1 has measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-45 and Panasonic L1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the FE-45 compared to the L1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-45 and L1 is 95 and 65 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizes purely by looking through a spec sheet. The pic here will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-45 and L1.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FE-45 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus FE-45 will result in extra detail due to its extra 3MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The younger FE-45 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.