Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1
86 Imaging
46 Features
42 Overall
44
65 Imaging
41 Features
38 Overall
39
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 355g - 121 x 70 x 36mm
- Announced July 2009
- Successor is Olympus E-P2
(Full Review)
- 7MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 606g - 146 x 87 x 77mm
- Launched April 2007
Photography Glossary Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 Overview
Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and L1 (7MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor sizes (Four Thirds).
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe E-P1 was released 2 years after the L1 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-P1 matches up versus the L1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic L1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P1 over the Panasonic L1
| E-P1 | L1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | July 2009 | April 2007 | More modern by 28 months | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 230k | 207k | Sharper screen (+23k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic L1 over the Olympus E-P1
| L1 | E-P1 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic L1
| E-P1 | L1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial precise focusing | |||
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | Lack of selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Lack of Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 offers exterior measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic L1 has sizing of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") along with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).
See the Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P1 vs the L1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and L1 is 86 and 65 respectively.
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it is very difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading a spec sheet. The picture below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and L1.
As you can see, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-P1 to offer extra detail as a result of its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more modern E-P1 will have a benefit in sensor technology.
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic L1 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-P1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Announced | 2009-07-29 | 2007-04-11 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic V | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 7 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 3136 x 2352 |
| Highest native ISO | 6400 | 1600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 11 | 3 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Available lenses | 107 | 45 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 3" | 2.5" |
| Screen resolution | 230k dots | 207k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Screen tech | HyperCrystal LCD with AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.46x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 13.00 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off, Slow Sync (1&2) |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/180s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
| Video format | Motion JPEG | - |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 355 grams (0.78 pounds) | 606 grams (1.34 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 121 x 70 x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") | 146 x 87 x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 55 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 536 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 shots | - |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | BLS-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC card | SD/MMC card |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Price at release | $182 | $1,500 |