Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH27

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH27, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and FH27 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and FH27 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was launched 9 months after the FH27 which means that they are of a similar generation. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH27 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL3 grades versus the FH27 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH27. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic FH27 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera often, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH27 has specifications of 99mm x 57mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") and a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH27 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the FH27.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and FH27 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizes only by going over technical specs. The picture below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and FH27.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FH27 will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.