Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FH7

Following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FH7, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FH7 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was announced 13 months after the FH7 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-PL5 matches up against the FH7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 has got external dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH7 has proportions of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FH7 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-PL5 and the FH7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and FH7 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by seeing specs. The pic below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and FH7.

All in all, both of those cameras feature the identical megapixel count albeit not the same sensor sizes. The E-PL5 has the bigger sensor which should make achieving shallower depth of field simpler. The fresher E-PL5 will have an edge in sensor innovation.