Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic FH7

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic FH7, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the FH7 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and FH7 (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

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The E-PM2 was manufactured 21 months later than the FH7 making them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-PM2 matches up versus the FH7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM2 comes with exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Panasonic FH7 has measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic FH7 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PM2 against the FH7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM2 and FH7 is 89 and 96 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualize the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The visual below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM2 and FH7.

As you can tell, each of the cameras provide the same MP but different sensor measurements. The E-PM2 contains the larger sensor which will make achieving shallower DOF simpler. The fresher E-PM2 should have a benefit in sensor tech.