Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FH3

In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FH3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the FH3 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and FH3 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was announced 23 months later than the FH3 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH3 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PM1 matches up versus the FH3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic FH3 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM1 offers outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Panasonic FH3 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FH3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PM1 versus the FH3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and FH3 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Often, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and FH3.

As you can see, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FH3 will give extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The newer E-PM1 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.