Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic S1H

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus SH-50 versus Panasonic S1H, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and S1H (24MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and S1H (Full frame) boast different sensor size.

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The SH-50 was unveiled 7 years prior to the S1H and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S1H being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the SH-50 scores against the S1H in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Panasonic S1H Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-50 provides external measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S1H has measurements of 151mm x 114mm x 110mm (5.9" x 4.5" x 4.3") along with a weight of 1052 grams (2.32 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-50 versus Panasonic S1H in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the SH-50 versus the S1H.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and S1H is 88 and 52 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizing just by seeing technical specs. The visual here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and S1H.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SH-50 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic S1H will produce more detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older SH-50 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.