Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FS42

Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FS42, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and FS42 (10MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FS42 (1/2.5") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was released 8 years later than the FS42 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology 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 FS42 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL9 matches up vs the FS42 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic FS42 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 comes with outer 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 FS42 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 22mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FS42 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 against the FS42.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and FS42 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing simply by going through specs. The photograph here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and FS42.

All in all, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will show extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-PL9 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.