Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FX78

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FX78, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the E-PL6 (16MP) and FX78 (12MP) and the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and FX78 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was revealed 3 years later than the FX78 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-PL6 grades versus the FX78 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Panasonic FX78 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL6 has got outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic FX78 has specifications of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FX78 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL6 vs the FX78.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL6 and FX78 is 88 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing specs. The graphic underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL6 and FX78.

All in all, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL6 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL6 will render greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent E-PL6 is going to have an edge in sensor innovation.