Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic FH7

Here, we are comparing the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FH7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and FH7 (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was announced 9 months prior to the FH7 so they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-PL1s matches up against the FH7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s features outside measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic FH7 has specifications of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FH7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1s against the FH7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and FH7 is 86 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes merely by going through technical specs. The pic here will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and FH7.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH7 will produce greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.