Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic FP5

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic FP5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the FP5 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1s was launched around the same time to the FP5 and they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PL1s grades against the FP5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s has got 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) and the Panasonic FP5 has specifications of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic FP5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s vs the FP5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and FP5 is 86 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through technical specs. The photograph underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and FP5.

As you have seen, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FP5 will show more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots more aggressively.