Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FH8: A Tale of Two Cameras From Different Worlds

When you line up the Olympus OM-D E-M5 side-by-side with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8, you might glance and wonder - how do these two even belong in the same conversation? One is a sophisticated Micro Four Thirds advanced mirrorless camera aimed at serious enthusiasts, while the other is a compact, pocket-friendly shooter designed for everyday casual snapshots. And yet, both emerged around 2012 and share a resolution of roughly 16 megapixels. So what happens when you pit Olympus’s mirrorless veteran against Panasonic’s humble compact? Pull up a chair, because I’ve spent weeks dissecting their capabilities across genres, image quality, handling, and features so you don’t have to.

First Impressions: Handling and Physical Presence

From the second you pick them up, the Olympus E-M5 speaks enthusiast with its distinctly SLR-style mirrorless body, featuring a durable weather-sealed magnesium alloy shell. At 425 grams and measuring 122×89×43 mm, it’s a bit chunky but still manageable in one hand thanks to a sculpted grip and well-weighted balance. The Panasonic FH8, by contrast, is pocket-sized and feather-light at just 123 grams and a slim 96×57×19 mm. If you prize portability above all else, the FH8 wins hands down and fits effortlessly into a jacket pocket or purse. However, with that compactness comes compromises in control: the FH8 is minimalist with fixed-lens convenience and a straightforward button layout that’s more point-and-shoot than control console.

The Olympus screams “I want to be your serious creative partner,” while the Panasonic whispers “snap and go.” Speaking of controls…

The E-M5 flaunts a robust top plate laden with exposure dials, custom buttons, and a tilting LCD - plenty of ways to tailor your shooting experience. The FH8 sticks with basics, opting for simplicity at the expense of manual control. If you’re fiddly about fine settings or want full creative command, the Olympus feels like the playground. The Panasonic feels like a no-fuss holiday companion.

Peeking Under the Hood: Sensor and Image Quality Showdown

Much of a camera’s DNA lies in its sensor, so let’s dive into the guts. The Olympus E-M5 uses a 4/3-inch (17.3×13 mm) CMOS sensor with a 16 MP resolution - considerably larger than the FH8’s 1/2.3-inch (6.08×4.56 mm) CCD sensor, also at 16 MP. The size difference is not trivial: the E-M5’s sensor area is nearly 8 times larger (225 mm² versus 28 mm²).

This large sensor advantage lets the Olympus capture more light per pixel, translating to better dynamic range, richer color depth, and superior low-light performance. According to DxOMark’s metrics, the E-M5 sports a color depth of 22.8 bits, dynamic range of 12.3 EV, and usable ISO ceiling around 826, respectable even nearly a decade later. Panasonic’s FH8 remains untested by DxOMark, but its small sensor and older CCD tech limit its low light prowess and dynamic latitude.

What does this mean in practice? When shooting portraits, landscapes, or nighttime scenes, the Olympus delivers cleaner, sharper images with more detail preserved in shadows and highlights. The Panasonic, while capable for sunny outdoor snapshots, struggles in shadow recovery and noise control as ISO climbs above 400. So if you’re serious about image quality, the Olympus stands tall.

Mastering the Art of Focus and AF Performance

Autofocus is where the rubber meets the road, especially in dynamic shooting scenarios. The E-M5 features a contrast-detection system with 35 focus points, including face detection and selectable AF modes (single, continuous, tracking, selective). It even offers touch-to-focus via its capacitive touchscreen LCD. Meanwhile, the FH8 has a more modest AF with 23 points, center-focused priority, and no touch AF option, which limits creative framing ease.

In field tests, the Olympus autofocus proves snappier, lock-on tracking smoother, and face detection more reliable. It keeps pace with wildlife or sports subjects moving unpredictably - up to 9 frames per second continuous shooting help deliver bursts during critical moments. The Panasonic’s single frame per second burst means you’ll miss fast action, looking more to casual, posed shots or landscapes.

For street shooters and macro enthusiasts, the Olympus’s fast, precise AF and 5-axis sensor stabilization deliver essential accuracy and sharpness, especially at close distances - the FH8’s optical stabilization and 4cm macro range are nice for casual flower snaps but fall short for demanding macro projects. Olympus's manual focus offers additional creative control for enthusiasts, a feature absent in the FH8.

The Screen and Viewfinder Experience

Let’s pull the cameras around and talk about framing and reviewing shots. The E-M5 has a sharp 3" tilting OLED touchscreen with 610k dots, making high-angle shots easier and focus point selection intuitive. The EVF boasts 1.44 million dots and 100% coverage - bright, clear, and reassuring for composing in sunlight.

The FH8 compromises with a fixed 3" TFT LCD that’s significantly dimmer with only 230k resolution, and no built-in viewfinder. Shooting outdoors? The FH8’s screen can struggle with glare, and you’re forced to compose from arm’s length, which can impact stability and framing finesse.

Anyone serious about framing precision or who shoots extensively outdoors will appreciate Olympus’s superior screens and electronic viewfinder.

Weather Sealing and Build Quality

If you’ve ever caught an unexpected rain shower or dust storm mid-shoot, you know gauge of build reliability matters. The Olympus E-M5 is weather-sealed, resistant to moisture and dust - perfect for rugged landscape hikes or traveling through unpredictable climates. The FH8, being a basic compact, has no weather sealing, and its plastic shell feels less durable.

If you intend to shoot outdoors in challenging conditions, the Olympus is the better long-term partner. Otherwise, the FH8’s lightweight carry-everywhere design might suit casual urban strolls.

Video Capabilities

Video often separates enthusiasts from shutterbugs who just want a clip of the dog doing a trick. The Olympus E-M5 shoots Full HD 1080p at up to 60 fps, with clean HDMI output and stabilization to smooth handheld capture. Unfortunately, no microphone input means audio can be subpar unless you rig external sound separately.

The FH8 maxes out at HD 720p 30 fps video - quite basic and a bit dated for those wanting clean video. No stabilization beyond optical lens correction, no external mic jack, and no HDMI out limits its appeal for serious videographers.

For multipurpose stills and video, Olympus wins hands down, though neither camera targets cinema-grade vloggers.

Battery Life and Storage

Here’s where convenience counts. Olympus E-M5 uses the BLN-1 lithium-ion battery, rated at approximately 360 shots per charge - typical for mirrorless cameras of its era. The FH8 uses a proprietary compact battery rated at 260 shots per charge. Neither is championing marathon shooting, and both support SD or SDHC cards, with Olympus compatible with higher capacity SDXC types.

If long-day shooting without pack swaps matters, Olympus has a modest edge. But always pack spares if you’re out all day, particularly with mirrorless power draws.

What Genres Make Each Camera Shine?

To shape this abstract data into relatable scenarios, I tested both across all major photography styles. Here’s what I found:

Portrait Photography

The Olympus E-M5’s larger sensor delivers natural, pleasing skin tone reproduction with gentle bokeh, especially when paired with Micro Four Thirds prime lenses. Its eye-detection AF helps nail sharp focus on the eyes - a critical element unseen on the FH8. The Panasonic’s fixed lens wide aperture (f/2.5-6.4) limits shallow depth-of-field effects and its autofocus, while decent in daylight, is less consistent on faces.

Winner: Olympus E-M5 for professional portrait and creative control.

Landscape Photography

High-resolution files, dynamic range, and weather sealing are crucial here. Olympus offers superior detail extraction and color nuance, with its ability to bracket for HDR shots and rely on sturdiness outdoors. Panasonic’s smaller sensor produces noisier RAWs (well, not even RAW support on FH8) and clipped highlights in tricky light.

Winner: Olympus E-M5 for landscapes and travel photography.

Wildlife and Sports

Rapid autofocus and high-frame-rate burst help capture fleeting moments. Olympus’s 9 fps continuous plus solid tracking autofocus do well, while Panasonic’s single-frame and slow AF hamper action shots.

Winner: Olympus for wildlife and sports - by a large margin.

Street Photography

Tricky one. The Olympus E-M5 is a bit bigger and more noticeable, potentially disrupting candid scenes. Panasonic FH8’s diminutive profile and quiet operation fit street shooting better for casual photographers. However, lower ISO performance hampers night street photography. Olympus’s articulated screen and EVF give more creative flexibility at expense of size.

Winner: Panasonic FH8 for discrete, casual street use; Olympus for serious street shooters who want manual control.

Macro Photography

Olympus’s precision manual focus, sensor-shift stabilization, and lens ecosystem allow shooting crisp, detailed macros. Panasonic’s minimal 4cm macro capability suits only very basic close-ups.

Winner: Olympus for macro enthusiasts.

Night and Astro Photography

Olympus’s better high-ISO handling and RAW support - plus manual exposure modes and bulb shutter - enable long-exposure and astrophotography. The Panasonic lacks manual modes and suffers from noise quickly.

Winner: Olympus for night and astro work.

Video

Olympus’s 1080/60p and stabilization outperform Panasonic’s 720p. But lack of mic inputs on both limits pro usability.

Winner: Olympus for decent video, Panasonic for casual clips only.

Travel Photography

Panasonic’s pocketform is unmatched for lightweight travel. Olympus strikes a balance of size, versatility, and durability but requires more dedicated packing. Battery life favors Olympus slightly.

Winner: Panasonic for casual travel; Olympus for serious travelers wanting quality over convenience.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

Micro Four Thirds is a mature, diverse standard with over 100 native lenses available during the Olympus E-M5’s heyday, ranging from fast primes to versatile zooms from Olympus, Panasonic Lumix, and third parties. This lens flexibility makes the E-M5 a powerful system body at the heart of a dynamic kit.

The Panasonic FH8’s fixed lens means no future upgrades or super telephoto zoom options - a serious limitation if you want to grow your photographic range.

Connectivity and Modern Features

Both cameras are vintage by current standards - no Bluetooth or NFC. The Olympus E-M5 offers Eye-Fi card compatibility for Wi-Fi transfer, while Panasonic FH8 has no wireless feature. USB 2.0 ports offer basic image transfer only. HDMI output on the Olympus is handy for tethered shooting or playback, missing on the Panasonic.

If wireless integration matters, Olympus leads, but both trail modern mirrorless cameras in connectivity.

Pricing and Value Considerations

The Olympus E-M5 launched at around $799; the Panasonic FH8 introduced at a fraction ($149 new). Their price disparity reflects their ambitions: E-M5 is a system camera for enthusiasts, FH8 a casual compact.

Today, used Olympus E-M5 bodies with deals on lenses can provide entry-level mirrorless flexibility at a reasonable budget. The Panasonic FH8 might be seen as a nostalgic grab-and-go point-and-shoot.

Summary of Scores and Real-World Performance

Let’s bring all this together with a high-level rating based on extensive testing, image samples, and user feedback.

The Olympus E-M5 outranks the Panasonic FH8 decisively due to superior image quality, autofocus, features, and build. Its negatives are bulk and a steeper learning curve, but the trade-offs reward commitment.

The Panasonic fares acceptably only in casual street and travel snapshots, where size and simplicity override quality concerns. Its lack of RAW, small sensor, and weak controls limit ambition.

Olympus E M5 front Olympus E M5 screen back Panasonic FH8 front Panasonic FH8 screen back

Side-by-side image samples reveal clearer details, natural tones, and dynamic range superiority in the Olympus, which realizes the promise of its specs in everyday photography scenarios.

Who Should Buy the Olympus OM-D E-M5?

If you’re:

• A serious photography enthusiast ready to invest in an expandable Micro Four Thirds system
• A professional needing a rugged, weather-sealed mirrorless body for portraits, landscapes, wildlife, or travel
• Someone who values image quality, manual control, and video capabilities
• Okay with a learning curve and carrying moderate weight

Then the Olympus E-M5 remains an impressive classic mirrorless that delivers creative freedom and solid results at a fair price on the used market.

Who Should Opt for the Panasonic Lumix FH8?

If you’re:

• A casual shooter wanting an affordable, ultra-light camera to grab for daily moments
• Needing a simple point-and-shoot with reasonable zoom for family events or vacations
• Mostly shooting in good light without a thirst for advanced settings or lenses
• Prioritizing budget and portability over ultimate image quality

Then the Panasonic FH8 can be a fun pocket-sized companion with decent stills and basic video.

Final Thoughts: Worlds Apart Yet Both Have Their Place

Comparing the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix FH8 is like juxtaposing a classic Swiss army knife and a single-purpose keychain tool. They both fit in your camera bag - but they serve wildly different needs.

The Olympus E-M5 is my pick for anyone serious about developing photography craft through a mature system, delivering pro-level quality and flexibility wrapped in a robust, weather-sealed body. Meanwhile, the Panasonic FH8 charm lies in its cheerful simplicity and small footprint for no-fuss snapshots.

Choosing between them boils down to your photographic ambitions, style, and budget. Hope this comprehensive rundown helps you pick the best camera for your journey - whether that’s capturing a majestic sunrise with the Olympus or sneaking shots unseen on the streets with the Panasonic.

Happy shooting, whatever camera you hold!

This article reflects extensive hands-on testing indoors and outdoors, with repeated shooting scenarios and cross-checking of technical benchmarks, aligning with photographic community insights. All photos shown are original test captures by the author.