Olympus 1 vs Panasonic FH20

Following is a complete review of the Olympus 1 and Panasonic FH20, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the 1 (12MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the 1 (1/1.7") and FH20 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The 1 was manufactured 3 years after the FH20 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic FH20 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a simple view of how the 1 matches up versus the FH20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus 1 Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1 has got outer dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH20 has dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 1 and Panasonic FH20 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the 1 compared to the FH20.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 1 and FH20 is 79 and 93 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to picture the gap in sensor sizes only by going through specs. The image below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1 and FH20.

All in all, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The 1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH20 will show greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more recent 1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.