Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FH5

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic FH5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FH5 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The E-PL5 was unveiled 21 months after the FH5 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL5 scores against the FH5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic FH5 has proportions of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic FH5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL5 versus the FH5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and FH5 is 88 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions merely by seeing technical specs. The image here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and FH5.

As you can tell, each of the cameras provide the same megapixels albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 uses the bigger sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field less difficult. The fresher E-PL5 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.