Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FH6

In this article, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FH6, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FH6 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FH6 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was manufactured 9 months later than the FH6 so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH6 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PL5 grades versus the FH6 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic FH6 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys outside dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH6 has measurements of 96mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FH6 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 against the FH6.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and FH6 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor sizing simply by seeing technical specs. The photograph underneath will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and FH6.

As you can tell, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will show more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more recent E-PL5 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.