Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FH20

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FH20, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FH20 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-PL9 was announced 8 years later than the FH20 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the FH20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 has outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") along with a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FH20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the FH20.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and FH20 is 85 and 93 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizing only by checking out technical specs. The visual below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and FH20.

As you can tell, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will produce greater detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images way more aggressively. The fresher E-PL9 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.