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Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100

Portability
88
Imaging
40
Features
48
Overall
43
Olympus SH-50 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 front
Portability
83
Imaging
50
Features
73
Overall
59

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Key Specs

Olympus SH-50
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 269g - 112 x 63 x 42mm
  • Announced January 2013
Panasonic LX100
(Full Review)
  • 13MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-75mm (F1.7-2.8) lens
  • 393g - 115 x 66 x 55mm
  • Announced September 2014
  • Replacement is Panasonic LX100 II
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Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Overview

Let's look more closely at the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX100, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and LX100 (13MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and LX100 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-50 was manufactured 20 months prior to the LX100 which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the SH-50 grades against the LX100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SH-50 over the Panasonic LX100

 SH-50 LX100 
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic LX100 over the Olympus SH-50

 LX100 SH-50 
AnnouncedSeptember 2014January 2013More modern by 20 months
Screen resolution921k460kSharper screen (+461k dot)

Common features in the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX100

 SH-50 LX100 
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen size3"3"Same screen sizing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Physical Comparison

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-50 comes with exterior dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic LX100 has sizing of 115mm x 66mm x 55mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.2") along with a weight of 393 grams (0.87 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the SH-50 versus the LX100.

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and LX100 is 88 and 83 respectively.

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The image here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-50 and LX100.

As you have seen, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will give you greater detail due to its extra 3MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged SH-50 is going to be behind in sensor tech.

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 sensor size comparison

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SH-50 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic LX100 as a Portrait photography camera
44
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
features face detect autofocus
no external flash support
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
70
manual focus
megapixel count good (13MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus SH-50 Street photography information
Panasonic LX100 Street photography information
64
built in image stabilization (Optical)
includes focus by touch
lighter than competition in class (269g)
screen does not articulate
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
76
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
boasts touch to focus
very good high ISO (25,600)
screen is fixed
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SH-50 Sports photography details
Panasonic LX100 Sports photography details
48
excellent zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
features tracking focus
no shutter priority
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
66
quiet mode (1/16,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (13MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
provides tracking autofocus
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus SH-50 Travel photography factors
Panasonic LX100 Travel photography factors
69
lighter than competition in class (269g)
includes focus by touch
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
pretty wide (25mm)
long zoom (600mm)
missing Timelapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
75
boasts touch to focus
megapixel count good (13 megapixels)
quite wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.7)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus SH-50 Landscape photography advice
Panasonic LX100 Landscape photography advice
49
focusing manually
pretty wide (25mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
missing Timelapse function
73
manual focus
quite wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.7)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (13 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
very good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SH-50 as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic LX100 as a Vlogging camera
34
pretty wide (25mm)
touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
features face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition in class (269g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
screen isn't selfie friendly
missing microphone jack
35
quite wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.7)
has image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection autofocus
great video quality (3840 x 2160 resolution)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
doesn't have external mic port
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Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX100
 Olympus SH-50Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus SH-50 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100
Class Small Sensor Superzoom Large Sensor Compact
Announced 2013-01-08 2014-09-15
Body design Compact Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VI Venus Engine
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 13 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 4112 x 3088
Highest native ISO 6400 25600
Min native ISO 125 200
RAW files
Min boosted ISO - 100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points - 49
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-600mm (24.0x) 24-75mm (3.1x)
Maximal aperture f/3.0-6.9 f/1.7-2.8
Macro focusing distance 5cm 3cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 2.1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 460 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,764 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 15s 60s
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Maximum quiet shutter speed - 1/16000s
Continuous shooting speed 12.0 frames/s 11.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 4.00 m 7.00 m (with included external flash at ISO 100)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, on, on w/redeye reduction, slow sync, slow sync w/redeye reduction, off
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 480fps (176 x 128), 240fps (384 x 288) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 269g (0.59 lbs) 393g (0.87 lbs)
Physical dimensions 112 x 63 x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") 115 x 66 x 55mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.2")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 67
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.3
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.5
DXO Low light rating not tested 553
Other
Battery life - 300 shots
Form of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID SLB-10A -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, Pet Auto Shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
Storage slots 1 1
Cost at launch $300 $800