Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic S1H

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic S1H, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and S1H (24MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and S1H (Full frame) have different sensor sizes.

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The E-PM1 was brought out 8 years earlier than the S1H which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1H being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PM1 matches up against the S1H when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic S1H Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM1 provides outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic S1H has specifications of 151mm x 114mm x 110mm (5.9" x 4.5" x 4.3") and a weight of 1052 grams (2.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic S1H in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-PM1 vs the S1H.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and S1H is 89 and 52 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over specs. The pic below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and S1H.

All in all, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic S1H will offer you greater detail having its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-PM1 is going to be behind in sensor technology.