Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1
95 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27


65 Imaging
41 Features
38 Overall
39
Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 26-105mm (F2.6-5.9) lens
- 136g - 95 x 57 x 22mm
- Announced July 2009
- Alternative Name is X-925
(Full Review)
- 7MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 606g - 146 x 87 x 77mm
- Announced April 2007

Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Overview
In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus FE-4000 and Panasonic L1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the FE-4000 (12MP) and L1 (7MP) and the FE-4000 (1/2.3") and L1 (Four Thirds) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

The FE-4000 was launched 2 years later than the L1 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-4000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a brief overview of how the FE-4000 grades versus the L1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-4000 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery & Panasonic L1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus FE-4000 over the Panasonic L1
FE-4000 | L1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | July 2009 | ![]() | April 2007 | More recent by 28 months |
Display sizing | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.2") |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 207k | Sharper display (+23k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic L1 over the Olympus FE-4000
L1 | FE-4000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing |
Common features in the Olympus FE-4000 and Panasonic L1
FE-4000 | L1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | No Touch display |
Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Physical Comparison
If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus FE-4000 provides external measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) and the Panasonic L1 has specifications of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus FE-4000 and Panasonic L1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the FE-4000 compared to the L1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FE-4000 and L1 is 95 and 65 respectively.

Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through specifications. The graphic underneath will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-4000 and L1.
To sum up, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FE-4000 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Olympus FE-4000 will give extra detail utilizing its extra 5MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The younger FE-4000 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.

Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus FE-4000 vs Panasonic L1 Specifications
Olympus FE-4000 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus FE-4000 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 |
Also called as | X-925 | - |
Type | Small Sensor Compact | Advanced DSLR |
Announced | 2009-07-22 | 2007-04-11 |
Body design | Compact | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic III | - |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | Four Thirds |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 7 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 3968 x 2976 | 3136 x 2352 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Micro Four Thirds |
Lens focal range | 26-105mm (4.0x) | - |
Maximum aperture | f/2.6-5.9 | - |
Macro focus distance | 3cm | - |
Available lenses | - | 45 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 2.7" | 2.5" |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dot | 207 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.46x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 4 seconds | 60 seconds |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | - | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 4.00 m | 13.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in | Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off, Slow Sync (1&2) |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 640x480 | None |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | - |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 136 grams (0.30 pounds) | 606 grams (1.34 pounds) |
Dimensions | 95 x 57 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") | 146 x 87 x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Self timer | Yes (12 seconds) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | xD Picture Card, microSD Card, Internal | SD/MMC card |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at release | $130 | $1,500 |