Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FS42

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FS42, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the FS42 (10MP) is relatively close but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was unveiled 23 months after the FS42 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL2 grades vs the FS42 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 has external measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL2 against the FS42.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and FS42 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes purely by looking through specifications. The pic below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and FS42.

To sum up, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL2 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL2 will render greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger E-PL2 provides a benefit in sensor tech.