Olympus FE-45 vs Panasonic GH1

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus FE-45 vs Panasonic GH1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the FE-45 (10MP) and the GH1 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the FE-45 (1/2.3") and GH1 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor sizing.

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The FE-45 was unveiled 6 months earlier than the GH1 so they are both of a similar age. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-45 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple summary of how the FE-45 grades versus the GH1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-45 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-45 Gallery & Panasonic GH1 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus FE-45 comes with external dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Panasonic GH1 has proportions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") having a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Check out the Olympus FE-45 vs Panasonic GH1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the FE-45 versus the GH1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-45 and GH1 is 95 and 81 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements just by looking at specifications. The graphic below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FE-45 and GH1.

Plainly, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FE-45 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic GH1 will give you greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively.