Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FX90

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic FX90, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the FX90 (12MP) is very comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and FX90 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was introduced 3 months later than the FX90 so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FX90 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PM1 matches up versus the FX90 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX90. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic FX90 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 has got outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic FX90 has sizing of 102mm x 56mm x 22mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic FX90 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PM1 against the FX90.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and FX90 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to see the gap in sensor sizing just by checking out specifications. The graphic below might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and FX90.

Plainly, both the cameras come with the identical MP but not the same sensor sizing. The E-PM1 includes the larger sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field simpler.