Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FX580

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FX580, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and FX580 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FX580 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was released 3 years later than the FX580 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL5 grades versus the FX580 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic FX580 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 has got external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic FX580 has dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FX580 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 vs the FX580.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and FX580 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading through specs. The visual underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and FX580.

All in all, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will resolve extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PL5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.