Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic GF7

Below is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic GF7, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and GF7 (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-PL1s was announced 5 years before the GF7 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL1s grades against the GF7 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic GF7 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s offers external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic GF7 has specifications of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic GF7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the GF7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and GF7 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to visualize the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and GF7.

As you can see, each of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Panasonic GF7 to provide more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images more aggressively. The older E-PL1s will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.