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Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1

Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49
Olympus PEN E-PM1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 front
Portability
87
Imaging
52
Features
54
Overall
52

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Key Specs

Olympus E-PM1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
  • Announced November 2011
  • Updated by Olympus E-PM2
Panasonic GX1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 318g - 116 x 68 x 39mm
  • Announced February 2012
  • Refreshed by Panasonic GX7
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Overview

Following is a complete review of the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and GX1 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-PM1 was announced 2 months earlier than the GX1 which means that they are of a similar generation. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-PM1 scores versus the GX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Panasonic GX1

 E-PM1 GX1 

Reasons to pick Panasonic GX1 over the Olympus E-PM1

 GX1 E-PM1 
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic GX1

 E-PM1 GX1 
AnnouncedNovember 2011February 2012Similar generation
Manual focus Dial exact focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen measurements
Screen resolution460k460kThe same screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 has outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GX1 has sizing of 116mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 318 grams (0.70 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM1 and the GX1.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and GX1 is 89 and 87 respectively.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is very tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizes only by going over specifications. The pic here may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and GX1.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You should count on the Panasonic GX1 to offer you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs much more aggressively.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Portrait photography info
Panasonic GX1 Portrait photography info
60
focusing manually
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detection autofocus
saves RAW files
sensor resolution low (12MP)
71
has manual focus
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detection focus
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Street photography highlights
Panasonic GX1 Street photography highlights
75
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
no articulating screen
70
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
supports touch focus
fixed screen
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Sports photography advice
Panasonic GX1 Sports photography advice
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking autofocus
slow fps (6.0 fps)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
lacks phase detect autofocus
47
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
not so great battery power (300 per charge)
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PM1
Travel photography with Panasonic GX1
45
does not have Timelapse mode
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
65
supports touch focus
resolution is good (16MP)
flash built-in
no Timelapse mode
not so great battery power (300 per charge)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Landscape photography details
Panasonic GX1 Landscape photography details
65
focusing manually
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
sensor resolution low (12MP)
does not have Timelapse mode
62
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
resolution is good (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
no image stabilization
not so great battery power (300 per charge)
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Vlogging information
Panasonic GX1 Vlogging information
34
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
provides face detection autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have external microphone port
32
touchscreen functionality
has face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
no external microphone support
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic GX1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic GX1
 Olympus PEN E-PM1Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1
General Information
Brand Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus PEN E-PM1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Announced 2011-11-23 2012-02-14
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VI Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4032 x 3024 4592 x 3448
Max native ISO 12800 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 160
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 35 23
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Amount of lenses 107 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display tech HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic (optional)
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 6.0 frames per sec 4.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range no built-in flash 7.60 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/160 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None 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 265 grams (0.58 lbs) 318 grams (0.70 lbs)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") 116 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 52 55
DXO Color Depth score 21.0 20.8
DXO Dynamic range score 10.3 10.6
DXO Low light score 499 703
Other
Battery life 330 images 300 images
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLS-5 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Single Single
Pricing at launch $499 $228