Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FS15

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FS15, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the FS15 (12MP) is very close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FS15 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor size.

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The E-PL1 was revealed 17 months later than the FS15 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the FS15 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FS15 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 features outer dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic FS15 has dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FS15 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the FS15.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and FS15 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements simply by looking through specs. The graphic here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and FS15.

All in all, both of those cameras offer the same exact resolution but different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 comes with the larger sensor which will make obtaining bokeh simpler. The younger E-PL1 should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.