Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic S1

Lets look more closely at the Olympus PEN-F versus Panasonic S1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the PEN-F (20MP) and the S1 (24MP) is fairly well matched but the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and S1 (Full frame) posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was launched 4 years before the S1 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the PEN-F grades vs the S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic Lumix DC-S1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Panasonic S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F comes with exterior measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic S1 has dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") accompanied by a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs).

Check the Olympus PEN-F versus Panasonic S1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the PEN-F and the S1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and S1 is 84 and 54 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements merely by checking technical specs. The visual underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and S1.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The PEN-F because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic S1 will give greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The older PEN-F is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.