Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FP7

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FP7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and FP7 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and FP7 (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL2 was brought out 2 months later than the FP7 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP7 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-PL2 grades vs the FP7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP7. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Panasonic FP7 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with exterior dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Panasonic FP7 has sizing of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FP7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL2 compared to the FP7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and FP7 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Normally, its tough to imagine the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The visual here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and FP7.

Clearly, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FP7 will provide more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots more aggressively.