Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FH5

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic FH5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was launched 7 months before the FH5 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the FH5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 has got exterior dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic FH5 has proportions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic FH5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the FH5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and FH5 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Typically, its tough to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions simply by seeing specs. The picture underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and FH5.

All in all, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH5 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.