Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic FP5

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic FP5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the FP5 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was released 8 months after the FP5 and they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-P3 scores versus the FP5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 provides exterior measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Panasonic FP5 has dimensions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic FP5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-P3 compared to the FP5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and FP5 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Generally, its hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The picture here should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and FP5.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P3 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FP5 will give you greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The younger E-P3 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.