Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic FH8

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic FH8, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and FH8 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and FH8 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P2 was announced 20 months before the FH8 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a in depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-P2 grades versus the FH8 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P2 Gallery and Panasonic FH8 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P2 provides physical 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 FH8 has proportions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic FH8 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the E-P2 vs the FH8.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P2 and FH8 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to envision the difference in sensor dimensions purely by looking through specs. The picture underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P2 and FH8.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P2 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FH8 will render greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 will be behind in sensor innovation.