Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FH3

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic FH3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the FH3 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FH3 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was unveiled 8 years later than the FH3 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL9 matches up vs the FH3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic FH3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 features outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic FH3 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic FH3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL9 and the FH3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and FH3 is 85 and 94 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and FH3.

As you can see, each of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 with its larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Olympus E-PL9 will provide greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 should have an edge in sensor technology.