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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1

Portability
89
Imaging
52
Features
63
Overall
56
Olympus PEN E-PM2 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 front
Portability
85
Imaging
47
Features
47
Overall
47

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Key Specs

Olympus E-PM2
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 269g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
  • Launched May 2013
  • Previous Model is Olympus E-PM1
Panasonic GF1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • 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-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Overview

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and GF1 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-PM2 was launched 3 years after the GF1 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PM2 scores against the GF1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM2 over the Panasonic GF1

 E-PM2 GF1 
AnnouncedMay 2013October 2009Newer by 44 months
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic GF1 over the Olympus E-PM2

 GF1 E-PM2 

Common features in the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic GF1

 E-PM2 GF1 
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen size
Screen resolution460k460kSame screen resolution
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM2 features exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic GF1 has proportions of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PM2 versus the GF1.

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM2 and GF1 is 89 and 85 respectively.

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is tough to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions merely by looking at a spec sheet. The pic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM2 and GF1.

As you can see, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-PM2 to give you greater detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PM2 provides a benefit in sensor technology.

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PM2 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic GF1 as a Portrait photography camera
71
has manual focus
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has face detect focusing
exports RAW files
60
focusing manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detect autofocus
saves RAW files
MP count low (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PM2 as a Street photography camera
Panasonic GF1 as a Street photography camera
79
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
has focus by touch
very good ISO range (25,600)
no articulating screen
64
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
screen does not articulate
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PM2 Sports photography details
Panasonic GF1 Sports photography details
66
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
does not have phase detect AF
44
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
great battery (380 CIPA)
max fps low (3.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (12 megapixels)
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PM2
Travel photography with Panasonic GF1
66
has focus by touch
good MP (16 megapixels)
missing Time Lapse function
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
59
great battery (380 per charge)
built-in flash
no Time Lapse mode
MP count low (12MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PM2 as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic GF1 as a Landscape photography camera
74
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
very good ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW files
missing Time Lapse function
60
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
great battery (380 per charge)
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (12 megapixels)
no Time Lapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PM2 Vlogging info
Panasonic GF1 Vlogging info
36
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
missing mic port
25
provides face detect autofocus
display isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
no mic jack
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GF1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic GF1
 Olympus PEN E-PM2Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus PEN E-PM2 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Launched 2013-05-21 2009-10-14
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Venus Engine HD
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 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
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 25600 3200
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points 35 23
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Total lenses 107 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 460 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display technology - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 8.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) 6.00 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/250 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
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)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG AVCHD Lite
Mic input
Headphone input
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
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 269g (0.59 pounds) 385g (0.85 pounds)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") 119 x 71 x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 72 54
DXO Color Depth score 22.7 21.2
DXO Dynamic range score 12.2 10.3
DXO Low light score 932 513
Other
Battery life 360 shots 380 shots
Battery format 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 recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/MMC
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at launch $448 $400