Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic FH1

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic FH1, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and FH1 (12MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and FH1 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was revealed 6 years after the FH1 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FH1 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief overview of how the PEN-F scores vs the FH1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN-F & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Panasonic FH1 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus PEN-F has external dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") and a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH1 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 163 grams (0.36 lbs).

Examine the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic FH1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the PEN-F and the FH1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and FH1 is 84 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through a spec sheet. The image below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the PEN-F and FH1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The PEN-F having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will give you extra detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more recent PEN-F should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.