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Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1

Portability
88
Imaging
52
Features
72
Overall
60
Olympus PEN E-PL5 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 front
Portability
85
Imaging
47
Features
47
Overall
47

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
  • Revealed September 2012
Panasonic GF1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 385g - 119 x 71 x 36mm
  • Announced October 2009
  • Renewed by Panasonic GF2
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Overview

Here is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic GF1, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and GF1 (12MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor size (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was revealed 2 years later than the GF1 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL5 grades against the GF1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Panasonic GF1

 E-PL5 GF1 
AnnouncedSeptember 2012October 2009Fresher by 36 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic GF1 over the Olympus E-PL5

 GF1 E-PL5 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic GF1

 E-PL5 GF1 
Manual focus Very accurate focus
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display size
Display resolution460k460kSame display resolution

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 offers exterior dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic GF1 has proportions of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic GF1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 against the GF1.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and GF1 is 88 and 85 respectively.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is very hard to see the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing specifications. The visual here might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and GF1.

Plainly, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Olympus E-PL5 to produce more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The fresher E-PL5 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Portrait photography factors
Panasonic GF1 Portrait photography factors
71
manual focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
60
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focus
delivers RAW files
sensor resolution low (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-PL5
Street photography with Panasonic GF1
85
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
features touch focus
good ISO range (25,600)
64
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Sports photography factors
Panasonic GF1 Sports photography factors
66
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
doesn't have phase detect AF
44
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
better than average battery life (380 CIPA)
painfully slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PL5
Travel photography with Panasonic GF1
75
features touch focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
screen is selfie friendly
doesn't have Timelapse mode
59
better than average battery life (380 per charge)
flash built-in
doesn't have Timelapse mode
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
does not offer selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Landscape photography features
Panasonic GF1 Landscape photography features
74
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
good ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW formats
doesn't have Timelapse mode
60
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3")
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
better than average battery life (380 per charge)
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Vlogging information
Panasonic GF1 Vlogging information
78
screen is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
doesn't have external microphone jack
25
supports face detect focus
does not offer selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
doesn't have microphone support
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic GF1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic GF1
 Olympus PEN E-PL5Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
General Information
Brand Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus PEN E-PL5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2012-09-17 2009-10-14
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor - Venus Engine HD
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 25600 3200
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 35 23
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Available lenses 107 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Type of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 460 thousand dots 460 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 8.0 frames per sec 3.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) 6.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG AVCHD Lite
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 325 gr (0.72 lb) 385 gr (0.85 lb)
Dimensions 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") 119 x 71 x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 72 54
DXO Color Depth score 22.8 21.2
DXO Dynamic range score 12.3 10.3
DXO Low light score 889 513
Other
Battery life 360 shots 380 shots
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLS-5 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/MMC
Card slots Single Single
Retail price $400 $400