Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic FP5

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-M5 II versus Panasonic FP5, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the FP5 (14MP) is very comparable but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 II was launched 4 years later than the FP5 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-M5 II scores against the FP5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 II & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 II Gallery & Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 II enjoys outer dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") along with a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) while the Panasonic FP5 has sizing of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 II versus Panasonic FP5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M5 II compared to the FP5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 II and FP5 is 80 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 II and FP5.

Clearly, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 II featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 II will show greater detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 II will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.