Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FX90

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FX90, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the FX90 (12MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FX90 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was released 15 months before the FX90 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX90 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-PL1 scores vs the FX90 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FX90 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 comes with physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic FX90 has specifications of 102mm x 56mm x 22mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FX90 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1 against the FX90.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and FX90 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to picture the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading a spec sheet. The visual below will offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and FX90.

As you can see, both the cameras have got the exact same MP albeit different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 provides the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult. The older E-PL1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.