Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FH20

Following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-PL6 versus Panasonic FH20, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and FH20 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was introduced 4 years after the FH20 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-PL6 scores vs the FH20 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL6 provides 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) while the Panasonic FH20 has proportions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL6 versus Panasonic FH20 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL6 and the FH20.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and FH20 is 88 and 93 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to see the difference between sensor sizes purely by looking at specifications. The image here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL6 and FH20.

Plainly, both of those cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL6 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL6 will give more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL6 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.