Olympus E-M1X vs Panasonic SZ1

In this article, we are analyzing the Olympus E-M1X and Panasonic SZ1, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the E-M1X (20MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-M1X (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") possess different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1X was released 7 years after the SZ1 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1X being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-M1X grades vs the SZ1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1X Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1X enjoys physical dimensions of 144mm x 147mm x 75mm (5.7" x 5.8" x 3.0") and a weight of 997 grams (2.20 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ1 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M1X and Panasonic SZ1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M1X compared to the SZ1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1X and SZ1 is 54 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1X and SZ1.

As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1X because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-M1X will render more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The more modern E-M1X provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.