Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FH7

Following is a extensive overview of the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FH7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and FH7 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was brought out 15 months earlier than the FH7 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-PL1 scores versus the FH7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 comes with external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic FH7 has specifications of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FH7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL1 vs the FH7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and FH7 is 86 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes just by checking out technical specs. The image below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and FH7.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH7 will produce greater detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.