Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FH8

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FH8, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the FH8 (16MP) is very similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FH8 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was manufactured 6 years after the FH8 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH8 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-PL9 matches up vs the FH8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH8. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic FH8 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 offers exterior dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH8 has dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 123 grams (0.27 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FH8 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL9 against the FH8.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and FH8 is 85 and 96 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The pic here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and FH8.

All in all, the two cameras come with the identical resolution but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 has the larger sensor which will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult. The more recent E-PL9 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.