Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic FH27

Here is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic FH27, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and FH27 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and FH27 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor size.

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The E-P3 was announced 8 months later than the FH27 so they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH27 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-P3 matches up versus the FH27 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH27. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Panasonic FH27 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 has got outside measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH27 has measurements of 99mm x 57mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") having a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic FH27 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the E-P3 against the FH27.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and FH27 is 86 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing simply by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and FH27.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P3 using its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FH27 will result in more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The fresher E-P3 will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.