Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FH7

Here, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic FH7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and FH7 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was released within a month of the FH7 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-PL3 matches up against the FH7 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 has physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH7 has sizing of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic FH7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the FH7.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and FH7 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes purely by going through specs. The pic here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and FH7.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FH7 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.