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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1

Portability
68
Imaging
60
Features
93
Overall
73
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 front
Portability
96
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(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
  • Released September 2016
  • Replaced the Olympus E-M1
  • Replacement is Olympus E-M1 III
Panasonic S1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-112mm (F3.1-5.6) lens
  • 117g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
  • Launched January 2011
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Overview

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and S1 (12MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-M1 II was announced 5 years after the S1 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-M1 II grades vs the S1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Panasonic S1

 E-M1 II S1 
LaunchedSeptember 2016January 2011Newer by 70 months
Focus manually More exact focus
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1037k230kSharper display (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic S1 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 S1 E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic S1

 E-M1 II S1 

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II offers outer measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") and a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Panasonic S1 has specifications of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-M1 II versus the S1.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and S1 is 68 and 96 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions just by seeing specs. The picture underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 II and S1.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 II using its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 II will provide more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics much more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography highlights
Panasonic S1 Portrait photography highlights
76
you can focus manually
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
21
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
resolution not great (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Street photography details
Panasonic S1 Street photography details
78
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
has touch focus
weather proof
lighter than others in class (574 grams)
good ISO range (25,600)
63
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average (117 grams)
fixed screen
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography highlights
Panasonic S1 Sports photography highlights
75
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
silent mode (1/32,000 seconds)
max fps high (60.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking focus
weather proof
has phase detect autofocus
bad battery pack (350 shots)
27
image stabilization (Optical)
no shutter priority mode
resolution not great (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography info
Panasonic S1 Travel photography info
72
lighter than others in class (574g)
weather proof
has touch focus
MP count decent (20MP)
display is selfie friendly
bad battery pack (350 shots)
62
lighter than average (117g)
built-in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography highlights
Panasonic S1 Landscape photography highlights
76
you can focus manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (20MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
no low pass filter
good ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW formats
weather proof
has dual storage slots
bad battery pack (350 per charge)
32
fairly wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
lack of manual exposure
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging information
Panasonic S1 Vlogging information
79
display is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detect autofocus
great video quality (4096 x 2160 resolution)
has microphone jack
lighter than others in class (574g)
31
fairly wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average (117g)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.1)
display isn't selfie friendly
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external mic jack
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic S1
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-S1
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Released 2016-09-19 2011-01-05
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VIII Venus Engine IV
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 5184 x 3888 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW photos
Lowest enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 121 11
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-112mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.1-5.6
Macro focus distance - 5cm
Number of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of display 1,037 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display technology - TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 8 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/1600 secs
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/32000 secs -
Continuous shutter speed 60.0 frames/s -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 3.30 m
Flash settings 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 reduction
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
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 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video format MOV, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic 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
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 574g (1.27 lb) 117g (0.26 lb)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.8 not tested
DXO Low light score 1312 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 240 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLH-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Two One
Cost at release $1,700 $269