Leica SL vs Panasonic GH1

Let's look a little more closely at the Leica SL and Panasonic GH1, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Leica and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the SL (24MP) and GH1 (12MP) and the SL (Full frame) and GH1 (Four Thirds) have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SL was released 6 years after the GH1 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SL scores against the GH1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica SL and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The complete galleries are viewable at Leica SL Gallery and Panasonic GH1 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Leica SL provides outside measurements of 147mm x 104mm x 39mm (5.8" x 4.1" x 1.5") and a weight of 847 grams (1.87 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GH1 has proportions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") along with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Examine the Leica SL and Panasonic GH1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SL and the GH1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SL and GH1 is 67 and 81 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing technical specs. The pic here will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SL and GH1.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SL because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Leica SL will deliver more detail as a result of its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The younger SL provides a benefit in sensor technology.