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Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78

Portability
86
Imaging
53
Features
81
Overall
64
Olympus PEN E-PL7 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 front
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
31
Overall
33

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL7
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
  • Introduced September 2014
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-PL6
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-PL8
Panasonic FX78
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-120mm (F2.5-5.9) lens
  • 142g - 100 x 55 x 21mm
  • Launched January 2011
  • Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-FX77
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Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Overview

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic FX78, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and FX78 (12MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and FX78 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL7 was launched 3 years after the FX78 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL7 scores vs the FX78 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL7 over the Panasonic FX78

 E-PL7 FX78 
LaunchedSeptember 2014January 2011More modern by 44 months
Manual focus Dial exact focusing
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution1037k230kCrisper display (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Panasonic FX78 over the Olympus E-PL7

 FX78 E-PL7 
Display dimension3.5"3"Larger display (+0.5")

Common features in the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic FX78

 E-PL7 FX78 
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL7 comes with outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic FX78 has specifications of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic FX78 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL7 versus the FX78.

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and FX78 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor sizes purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL7 and FX78.

As you can see, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL7 featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL7 will deliver greater detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PL7 should have an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic FX78 as a Portrait photography camera
71
you can focus manually
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detect autofocus
delivers RAW files
21
manual focus not available
no manual mode
can't use external flash
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 Street photography advice
Panasonic FX78 Street photography advice
84
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
provides touch to focus
very good ISO range (25,600)
57
image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic FX78 as a Sports photography camera
66
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking focus
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
28
image stabilization (Optical)
provides tracking autofocus
low maximum shutter speed (1/1,400s)
very slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
low battery power (200 shots)
no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PL7
Travel photography with Panasonic FX78
85
provides touch to focus
MP count good (16MP)
screen is selfie friendly
56
has built in flash
really wide (24mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
low battery power (200 per charge)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic FX78 as a Landscape photography camera
79
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
very good ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW files
36
really wide (24mm)
bigger than average screen (3.5")
image stabilization (Optical)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.5)
no manual mode
megapixel count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
low battery power (200 CIPA)
lack of Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 Vlogging information
Panasonic FX78 Vlogging information
78
screen is selfie friendly
has touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
no mic port
33
really wide (24mm)
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.5)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
lack of external mic jack
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Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FX78 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic FX78
 Olympus PEN E-PL7Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
Also Known as - Lumix DMC-FX77
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Introduced 2014-09-01 2011-01-25
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VII Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 81 11
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-120mm (5.0x)
Max aperture - f/2.5-5.9
Macro focusing range - 5cm
Number of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.9
Screen
Range of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen size 3" 3.5"
Screen resolution 1,037k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen technology - TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 60s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1400s
Continuous shooting speed 8.0 frames per second 4.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 5.60 m
Flash modes no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 357 gr (0.79 pounds) 142 gr (0.31 pounds)
Dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") 100 x 55 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 72 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 22.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 873 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 200 pictures
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-50 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Launch cost $499 $210