Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FP1

Below is a in-depth review of the Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FP1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the FP1 (12MP) is fairly comparable and they use the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The VH-515 was launched 2 years later than the FP1 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FP1 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a brief summation of how the VH-515 grades against the FP1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VH-515 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VH-515 Gallery and Panasonic FP1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus VH-515 has outer dimensions of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") along with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FP1 has measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic FP1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the VH-515 versus the FP1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VH-515 and FP1 is 95 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements purely by checking out technical specs. The graphic below might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VH-515 and FP1.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing and the identical megapixels so you should expect comparable quality of images though you would want to consider the release date of the cameras into account. The newer VH-515 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.