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Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 front
Portability
85
Imaging
47
Features
47
Overall
47

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Key Specs

Olympus E-1
(Full Review)
  • 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
  • Introduced November 2003
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-3
Panasonic GF1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 385g - 119 x 71 x 36mm
  • Announced October 2009
  • New Model is Panasonic GF2
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Overview

Here, we will be matching up the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and GF1 (12MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was brought out 6 years earlier than the GF1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-1 matches up versus the GF1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Panasonic GF1

 E-1 GF1 

Reasons to pick Panasonic GF1 over the Olympus E-1

 GF1 E-1 
AnnouncedOctober 2009November 2003More recent by 71 months
Screen size3"1.8"Bigger screen (+1.2")
Screen resolution460k134kClearer screen (+326k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic GF1

 E-1 GF1 
Focus manually Very exact focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Missing Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 comes with exterior measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Panasonic GF1 has sizing of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the E-1 compared to the GF1.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and GF1 is 59 and 85 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements only by researching a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and GF1.

Clearly, each of these cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You can count on the Panasonic GF1 to render extra detail having its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-1
Portrait photography with Panasonic GF1
46
focusing manually
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
no liveview feature
sensor resolution low (5 megapixels)
60
has manual focus
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports face detection focus
saves RAW formats
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-1 as a Street photography camera
Panasonic GF1 as a Street photography camera
57
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
lighter than average (735g)
no moving screen
no image stabilization
64
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-1 Sports photography information
Panasonic GF1 Sports photography information
40
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
environment proof
supports phase detect AF
no liveview feature
slow frames per second (3.0 frames per second)
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5 megapixels)
44
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
great battery (380 CIPA)
continuous shooting slow (3.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-1 as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic GF1 as a Travel photography camera
47
lighter than average (735 grams)
environment proof
no Time Lapse mode
sensor resolution low (5MP)
does not have selfie friendly screen
59
great battery (380 CIPA)
flash built-in
doesn't have Timelapse function
low megapixels (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-1 Landscape photography details
Panasonic GF1 Landscape photography details
46
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
tiny screen (1.8")
no liveview feature
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (5MP)
no Time Lapse mode
60
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a good size (3")
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
great battery (380 per charge)
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (12MP)
doesn't have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 Vlogging factors
Panasonic GF1 Vlogging factors
9
no video shooting
25
supports face detection focus
display is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
doesn't have external microphone support
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Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic GF1
 Olympus E-1Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
General Information
Brand Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus E-1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Category Pro DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2003-11-29 2009-10-14
Physical type Large SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Venus Engine HD
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 5MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 2560 x 1920 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 3200 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 3 23
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Amount of lenses 45 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 1.8" 3"
Resolution of display 134 thousand dots 460 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.48x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 3.0 frames per second 3.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 6.00 m
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/180 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1280x720
Video data format - AVCHD Lite
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 735g (1.62 lb) 385g (0.85 lb)
Physical dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 119 x 71 x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 54
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 21.2
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 10.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 513
Other
Battery life - 380 photographs
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature
Storage type Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/MMC
Card slots 1 1
Retail price $1,700 $400