Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FP1

Following is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FP1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and FP1 (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FP1 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was brought out 8 years after the FP1 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP1 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL9 matches up vs the FP1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic FP1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys physical measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FP1 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic FP1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-PL9 vs the FP1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and FP1 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes just by seeing a spec sheet. The picture here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL9 and FP1.

Clearly, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will provide greater detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-PL9 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.