Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic GF1

Here is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic GF1, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and GF1 (12MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was announced 4 years later than the GF1 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL7 scores vs the GF1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Panasonic GF1 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL7 features external measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic GF1 has measurements of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic GF1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL7 vs the GF1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and GF1 is 86 and 85 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizing simply by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic below may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL7 and GF1.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You can expect to see the Olympus E-PL7 to produce more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL7 will have a benefit in sensor tech.