Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic L1

Here is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic L1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and L1 (7MP) but both cameras have the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-PL1s was introduced 3 years later than the L1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-PL1s grades against the L1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic L1 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1s has got external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic L1 has measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") along with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic L1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose during that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1s vs the L1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and L1 is 86 and 65 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing just by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and L1.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Olympus E-PL1s to give you more detail using its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PL1s is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.