Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic GF1

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic GF1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the GF1 (12MP) is relatively close and both cameras have the identical sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

The E-5 was announced 16 months later than the GF1 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-5 matches up vs the GF1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Panasonic GF1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 comes with outer dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Panasonic GF1 has specifications of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic GF1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-5 versus the GF1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and GF1 is 58 and 85 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing specifications. The graphic below might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and GF1.

To sum up, both of those cameras come with the identical sensor size and the same megapixels so you should expect comparable quality of photographs but you might want to factor the release date of the cameras into account. The fresher E-5 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.