Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic LX100

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic LX100, one is a Pro DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and LX100 (13MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-1 was unveiled 11 years before the LX100 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic LX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-1 scores vs the LX100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic LX100 Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 comes with outside dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Panasonic LX100 has proportions of 115mm x 66mm x 55mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.2") having a weight of 393 grams (0.87 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic LX100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-1 against the LX100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and LX100 is 59 and 83 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading specs. The image below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-1 and LX100.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You should anticipate the Panasonic LX100 to deliver greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.