Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH5

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 9 months after the FH5 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-PL3 matches up vs the FH5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Panasonic FH5 has proportions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL3 vs the FH5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and FH5 is 88 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by seeing technical specs. The pic below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and FH5.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH5 will show more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The fresher E-PL3 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.