Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic FP2

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic FP2, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the FP2 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and FP2 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was unveiled 5 months prior to the FP2 which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP2 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-P1 grades vs the FP2 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP2. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic FP2 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P1 provides physical measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Panasonic FP2 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic FP2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P1 vs the FP2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and FP2 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Often, its difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The photograph below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and FP2.

All in all, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FP2 will resolve greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively.