Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FS42

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FS42, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") posses different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was introduced 3 years later than the FS42 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the FS42 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera often, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 provides outside 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) and the Panasonic FS42 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 and the FS42.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and FS42 is 88 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing only by looking through specifications. The photograph underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and FS42.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will result in greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 should have a benefit in sensor technology.