Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FX580

Below is a in depth review of the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FX580, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the FX580 (12MP) is fairly close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FX580 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL1 was brought out 16 months later than the FX580 making them a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL1 scores against the FX580 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FX580 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 provides exterior dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic FX580 has proportions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FX580 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1 against the FX580.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and FX580 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements just by researching specifications. The visual here should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and FX580.

To sum up, both the cameras provide the same MP but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL1 has the larger sensor which should make getting shallow depth of field easier. The more modern E-PL1 will have a benefit in sensor tech.