Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic FH7

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FH7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and FH7 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P1 was unveiled 3 years before the FH7 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-P1 grades vs the FH7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 has physical measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH7 has specifications of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FH7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P1 and the FH7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and FH7 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading through technical specs. The visual underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and FH7.

As you have seen, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 having a larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FH7 will give you extra detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.