Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic LF1

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic LF1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and LF1 (12MP) and the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and LF1 (1/1.7") enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM2 was released 6 months before the LF1 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LF1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PM2 scores versus the LF1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Panasonic LF1 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM2 comes with outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Panasonic LF1 has measurements of 103mm x 62mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic LF1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PM2 versus the LF1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM2 and LF1 is 89 and 92 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM2 and LF1.

As you can see, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PM2 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PM2 will provide more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively.