Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic FP5

Below is a in depth analysis of the Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic FP5, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and FP5 (14MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and FP5 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was launched 5 years later than the FP5 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight into a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the PEN-F scores versus the FP5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Panasonic FP5 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus PEN-F comes with physical dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") and a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic FP5 has measurements of 101mm x 59mm x 18mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check the Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic FP5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the PEN-F vs the FP5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the PEN-F and FP5 is 84 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements just by checking a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the PEN-F and FP5.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The PEN-F because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will give more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more modern PEN-F will have an advantage in sensor technology.