Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic FH20

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic FH20, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and FH20 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was brought out 5 months prior to the FH20 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-P1 scores versus the FH20 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 provides outside dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") along with a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic FH20 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-P1 compared to the FH20.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and FH20 is 86 and 93 respectively.

Generally, its tough to see the difference in sensor sizes just by going through specs. The pic underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P1 and FH20.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic FH20 will show greater detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.