Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic GF1

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic GF1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and GF1 (12MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and GF1 (Four Thirds) posses different sensor measurements.

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The SH-50 was unveiled 3 years later than the GF1 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summation of how the SH-50 scores versus the GF1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Panasonic GF1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-50 provides outside dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic GF1 has measurements of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic GF1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the SH-50 and the GF1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-50 and GF1 is 88 and 85 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to picture the contrast in sensor measurements merely by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-50 and GF1.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SH-50 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus SH-50 will produce extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively. The more recent SH-50 should have a benefit in sensor technology.