Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FH22

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FH22, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the FH22 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FH22 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was unveiled 8 years later than the FH22 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH22 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL9 grades vs the FH22 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH22. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic FH22 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 has exterior measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Panasonic FH22 has specifications of 100mm x 57mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 170 grams (0.37 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FH22 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL9 and the FH22.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and FH22 is 85 and 94 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through specs. The photograph here may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and FH22.

All in all, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 using its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will produce more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The fresher E-PL9 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.