Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic LX5

In this article, we are comparing the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic LX5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is fairly close but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") use totally different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was revealed 3 years before the LX5 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-P1 grades against the LX5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 comes with outer measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Panasonic LX5 has proportions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic LX5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the E-P1 compared to the LX5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and LX5 is 86 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The photograph here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and LX5.

All in all, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 having a larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-P1 will render more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.