Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic FP3

The following is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic FP3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the FP3 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and FP3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P3 was brought out 20 months after the FP3 making them a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-P3 grades vs the FP3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic FP3 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P3 comes with outer dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Panasonic FP3 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic FP3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P3 versus the FP3.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and FP3 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions only by checking specs. The pic underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and FP3.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FP3 will resolve more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-P3 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.