Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic XS1

Below is a extensive comparison of the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic XS1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and XS1 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was launched 4 years prior to the XS1 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-P1 scores vs the XS1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 features physical 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) and the Panasonic XS1 has specifications of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") having a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic XS1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-P1 and the XS1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and XS1 is 86 and 97 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements simply by researching specifications. The photograph here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and XS1.

To sum up, both cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Panasonic XS1 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.