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Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
54
Overall
50

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Key Specs

Olympus E-1
(Full Review)
  • 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
  • Revealed November 2003
  • Newer Model is Olympus E-3
Panasonic GF5
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 267g - 108 x 67 x 37mm
  • Revealed April 2012
  • Succeeded the Panasonic GF3
  • Successor is Panasonic GF6
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Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Overview

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5, former being a Pro DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and GF5 (12MP) but they possess the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was manufactured 9 years earlier than the GF5 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-1 scores vs the GF5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Panasonic GF5

 E-1 GF5 

Reasons to pick Panasonic GF5 over the Olympus E-1

 GF5 E-1 
RevealedApril 2012November 2003More recent by 101 months
Display sizing3"1.8"Larger display (+1.2")
Display resolution920k134kSharper display (+786k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic GF5

 E-1 GF5 
Manually focus Dial precise focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 provides outer measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Panasonic GF5 has measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-1 against the GF5.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and GF5 is 59 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be tough to picture the contrast in sensor measurements simply by viewing specifications. The visual underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and GF5.

To sum up, both of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You can expect to see the Panasonic GF5 to render greater detail due to its extra 7 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind in sensor tech.

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-1
Portrait photography with Panasonic GF5
46
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
no liveview
resolution not great (5 megapixels)
55
focusing manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detect autofocus
delivers RAW formats
can't use external flash
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-1 Street photography information
Panasonic GF5 Street photography information
57
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
lighter than average in class (735 grams)
fixed screen
no image stabilization
70
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
comes with touch to focus
screen is fixed
no image stabilization
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-1 as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic GF5 as a Sports photography camera
40
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
weather sealing
comes with phase detect auto focus
no liveview
low fps (3.0 frames per second)
no image stabilization
resolution not great (5 megapixels)
40
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
low fps (4.0 frames per second)
no image stabilization
megapixel count low (12MP)
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-1 Travel photography info
Panasonic GF5 Travel photography info
47
lighter than average in class (735 grams)
weather sealing
does not have Time Lapse mode
resolution not great (5MP)
does not feature selfie friendly display
61
comes with touch to focus
built-in flash
no Timelapse function
megapixel count low (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-1 Landscape photography information
Panasonic GF5 Landscape photography information
46
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
small screen (1.8 inches)
no liveview
no image stabilization
resolution not great (5 megapixels)
does not have Time Lapse mode
59
focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
no image stabilization
megapixel count low (12MP)
no Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 Vlogging factors
Panasonic GF5 Vlogging factors
9
no video shooting
32
touchscreen enabled
has face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
no microphone port
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Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic GF5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic GF5
 Olympus E-1Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus E-1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5
Type Pro DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2003-11-29 2012-04-05
Body design Large SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 5 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 2560 x 1920 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 3200 12800
Min native ISO 100 160
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 3 23
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Total lenses 45 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 1.8 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 134 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.48x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 60 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 3.0 frames per second 4.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 6.30 m
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/180 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 50 fps), 1280 x 720p (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
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 seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 735 grams (1.62 pounds) 267 grams (0.59 pounds)
Dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 108 x 67 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 50
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 20.5
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 10.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 573
Other
Battery life - 360 images
Battery form - Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images))
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Pricing at release $1,700 $600