Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FP8

Following is a extended overview of the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FP8, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the FP8 (12MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and FP8 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL2 was unveiled 19 months after the FP8 making them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP8 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-PL2 scores versus the FP8 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Panasonic FP8 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL2 provides outer dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Panasonic FP8 has specifications of 96mm x 60mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FP8 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL2 vs the FP8.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and FP8 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to see the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading technical specs. The picture here will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and FP8.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have the same megapixel count but not the same sensor sizes. The E-PL2 has the larger sensor which should make getting shallow depth of field simpler. The more modern E-PL2 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.