Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FP2

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FP2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the FP2 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FP2 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was brought out 5 months after the FP2 so they are of a similar age. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP2 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-PL1 grades versus the FP2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP2. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FP2 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 provides external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic FP2 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FP2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1 and the FP2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and FP2 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to envision the gap in sensor dimensions just by seeing specs. The image here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and FP2.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 because of its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FP2 will provide greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.