Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic FH5

The following is a extensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic FH5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1s was unveiled about the same time to the FH5 and they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-PL1s scores against the FH5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1s enjoys outer dimensions 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 FH5 has dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic FH5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s against the FH5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and FH5 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions simply by going through specs. The picture underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and FH5.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s having a larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FH5 will produce more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos more aggressively.