Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic XS1

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic XS1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and XS1 (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL1s was brought out 3 years before the XS1 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-PL1s matches up against the XS1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1s offers outside measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic XS1 has dimensions of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") along with a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic XS1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the XS1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and XS1 is 86 and 97 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions simply by going over specifications. The pic underneath should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and XS1.

Plainly, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic XS1 will offer you extra detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.