Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FP7

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FP7, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and FP7 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FP7 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was announced 7 months earlier than the FP7 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP7 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-PL1 matches up vs the FP7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Panasonic FP7 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera, you should think about its weight and measurements. 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) whilst the Panasonic FP7 has proportions of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FP7 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the FP7.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and FP7 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by checking out specs. The graphic here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and FP7.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FP7 will provide extra detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images way more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.