Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic GF1

Below is a complete review of the Olympus E-M1 versus Panasonic GF1, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and GF1 (12MP) but they possess the exact same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-M1 was announced 4 years later than the GF1 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-M1 scores against the GF1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Panasonic GF1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 has got outer measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Panasonic GF1 has dimensions of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Panasonic GF1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 compared to the GF1.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and GF1 is 71 and 85 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by going over specifications. The visual here will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and GF1.

To sum up, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different MP. You can expect to see the Olympus E-M1 to offer you extra detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.