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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1

Portability
68
Imaging
59
Features
93
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 front
Portability
97
Imaging
40
Features
26
Overall
34

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Released September 2016
  • Superseded the Olympus E-M1
  • Successor is Olympus E-M1 III
Panasonic XS1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-120mm (F2.8-6.9) lens
  • 103g - 94 x 54 x 14mm
  • Revealed January 2013
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Overview

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic XS1, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and XS1 (16MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 II was launched 3 years later than the XS1 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-M1 II grades versus the XS1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Panasonic XS1

 E-M1 II XS1 
RevealedSeptember 2016January 2013More recent by 46 months
Focus manually Very accurate focusing
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 XS1 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 XS1 E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic XS1

 E-M1 II XS1 

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II features outer dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) and the Panasonic XS1 has specifications of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") having a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic XS1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-M1 II and the XS1.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and XS1 is 68 and 97 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is very tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over a spec sheet. The visual below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 II and XS1.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-M1 II will offer more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II should have an advantage in sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Portrait photography with Panasonic XS1
75
manual focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has face detect focus
delivers RAW formats
30
decent megapixels (16MP)
lack of manual focus
no manual control
can't use external flash
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Street photography information
Panasonic XS1 Street photography information
78
screen can move to multiple angles
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
has touch focus
environment proofing
lighter than competition (574 grams)
very good high ISO (25,600)
64
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors (103g)
screen is fixed
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography information
Panasonic XS1 Sports photography information
74
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet shooting (1/32,000s)
high max fps (60.0 fps)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
environment proofing
has phase detect auto focus
not so great battery life (350 per charge)
41
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
offers tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Travel photography with Panasonic XS1
72
lighter than competition (574 grams)
environment proofing
has touch focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
not so great battery life (350 CIPA)
69
lighter than competitors (103g)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
rather wide (24mm)
no Timelapse recording
does not offer selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography advice
Panasonic XS1 Landscape photography advice
76
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
does not have low pass filter
very good high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
environment proofing
has double storage slots
not so great battery life (350 shots)
39
rather wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.7")
no manual control
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
no Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging highlights
Panasonic XS1 Vlogging highlights
79
selfie friendly display
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detect focus
high res video (4096 x 2160 pxls)
has mic port
lighter than competition (574 grams)
31
rather wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors (103g)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
no microphone socket
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic XS1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic XS1
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-XS1
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Released 2016-09-19 2013-01-07
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VIII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Peak resolution 5184 x 3888 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW support
Lowest enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 121 -
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-120mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/2.8-6.9
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech - TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 60s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1600s
Fastest silent shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shutter rate 60.0 frames per second 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 4.40 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 Syncro
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
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 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video file format MOV, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
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 sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 574g (1.27 pounds) 103g (0.23 pounds)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 94 x 54 x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.8 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1312 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 260 photographs
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID 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
Card slots 2 Single
Price at release $1,700 $130