Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GH1
68 Imaging
58 Features
93 Overall
72
81 Imaging
48 Features
57 Overall
51
Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GH1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
- Announced September 2016
- Previous Model is Olympus E-M1
- Later Model is Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 3200)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 385g - 124 x 90 x 45mm
- Announced July 2009
- Renewed by Panasonic GH2
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On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic GH1, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and GH1 (12MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor size (Four Thirds).
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe E-M1 II was launched 7 years later than the GH1 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-M1 II scores versus the GH1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Panasonic GH1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Panasonic GH1
| E-M1 II | GH1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | September 2016 | July 2009 | More recent by 88 months | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 460k | Clearer display (+577k dot) | |
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Olympus E-M1 II
| GH1 | E-M1 II |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic GH1
| E-M1 II | GH1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | More exact focusing | |||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated display | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal display size | |
| Selfie screen | Both good for selfies |
Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GH1 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 II enjoys exterior dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") along with a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Panasonic GH1 has dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") along with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic GH1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-M1 II vs the GH1.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 II and GH1 is 68 and 81 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GH1 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it's hard to picture the gap in sensor measurements only by researching specifications. The visual underneath will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 II and GH1.
Plainly, both of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus E-M1 II to result in greater detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The newer E-M1 II provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GH1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic GH1 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 |
| Category | Pro Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
| Announced | 2016-09-19 | 2009-07-10 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic VIII | Venus Engine HD |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor measurements | 17.4 x 13mm | 18.89 x 14.48mm |
| Sensor surface area | 226.2mm² | 273.5mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 1600 |
| Maximum boosted ISO | - | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Minimum boosted ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 121 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Total lenses | 107 | 107 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated |
| Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of display | 1,037 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
| Maximum quiet shutter speed | 1/32000s | - |
| Continuous shooting speed | 60.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 9.10 m (at ISO 100) | 10.50 m |
| Flash options | Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 1/250s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | MOV, H.264 | AVCHD |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 574 gr (1.27 pounds) | 385 gr (0.85 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") | 124 x 90 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 80 | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 23.7 | 21.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.8 | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light score | 1312 | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 pictures | 320 pictures |
| Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLH-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots | SD/SDHC |
| Storage slots | Dual | One |
| Retail cost | $1,700 | $949 |