Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic FH25

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FH25, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and FH25 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and FH25 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P1 was announced 17 months prior to the FH25 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH25 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-P1 matches up vs the FH25 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH25. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Panasonic FH25 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 offers external dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH25 has specifications of 99mm x 57mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FH25 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-P1 versus the FH25.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and FH25 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing just by going through specs. The visual underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and FH25.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 with its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FH25 will show more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.