Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FH6

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic FH6, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the FH6 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and FH6 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL7 was launched 2 years later than the FH6 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH6 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PL7 scores versus the FH6 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH6. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Panasonic FH6 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL7 offers physical measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Panasonic FH6 has specifications of 96mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic FH6 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL7 and the FH6.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and FH6 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing only by going through specs. The visual here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and FH6.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL7 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL7 will show extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs far more aggressively. The more modern E-PL7 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.