Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1
89 Imaging
52 Features
63 Overall
56
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81 Imaging
49 Features
57 Overall
52
Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 269g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Introduced May 2013
- Previous Model is Olympus E-PM1
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Increase to 3200)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 385g - 124 x 90 x 45mm
- Revealed July 2009
- Newer Model is Panasonic GH2
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Overview
Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic GH1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and GH1 (12MP) but they feature the same exact sensor sizing (Four Thirds).
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The E-PM2 was introduced 3 years later than the GH1 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-PM2 scores versus the GH1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Panasonic GH1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM2 over the Panasonic GH1
E-PM2 | GH1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | May 2013 | ![]() | July 2009 | Fresher by 48 months |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Olympus E-PM2
GH1 | E-PM2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic GH1
E-PM2 | GH1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More precise focus | ||
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display measurement |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 460k | Exact same display resolution |
Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry your camera often, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM2 features outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Panasonic GH1 has proportions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic GH1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PM2 compared to the GH1.
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Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PM2 and GH1 is 89 and 81 respectively.
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor sizing only by reading a spec sheet. The photograph below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM2 and GH1.
As you can see, both of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Olympus E-PM2 to deliver greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent E-PM2 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic GH1 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PM2 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PM2 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2013-05-21 | 2009-07-10 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Venus Engine HD |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 18.89 x 14.48mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 273.5mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 1600 |
Max enhanced ISO | - | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
Number of lenses | 107 | 107 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Screen sizing | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of screen | 460k dot | 460k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 8.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 10.50 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
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) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | AVCHD |
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 | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 269 grams (0.59 lb) | 385 grams (0.85 lb) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 124 x 90 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 72 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.7 | 21.6 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.2 | 11.6 |
DXO Low light score | 932 | 772 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 photographs | 320 photographs |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-5 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch price | $448 | $949 |