Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH20

Below is a detailed analysis of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic FH20, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and FH20 (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL3 was announced 21 months later than the FH20 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the FH20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 features outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic FH20 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 and the FH20.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and FH20 is 88 and 93 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements just by going over specs. The visual underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and FH20.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FH20 will offer you greater detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.