Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic FS15

Here is a detailed comparison of the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic FS15, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and FS15 (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and FS15 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 was announced 4 years later than the FS15 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-M1 matches up vs the FS15 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Panasonic FS15 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 has outside measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Panasonic FS15 has dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic FS15 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 and the FS15.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and FS15 is 71 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing only by going over specs. The graphic below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and FS15.

All in all, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M1 will offer you more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The newer E-M1 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.