Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic FP5

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FP5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the FP5 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P1 was brought out 17 months earlier than the FP5 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-P1 grades vs the FP5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P1 has got outside dimensions 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 FP5 has dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FP5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P1 and the FP5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and FP5 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Typically, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The pic underneath may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and FP5.

As you can tell, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FP5 will resolve more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.