Clicky

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1

Portability
79
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34
Olympus SP-610UZ front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 front
Portability
81
Imaging
49
Features
57
Overall
52

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Key Specs

Olympus SP-610UZ
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-616mm (F3.3-5.7) lens
  • 405g - 107 x 73 x 73mm
  • Launched January 2011
  • Succeeded the Olympus SP-600 UZ
  • Newer Model is Olympus SP-620 UZ
Panasonic GH1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Push to 3200)
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 385g - 124 x 90 x 45mm
  • Released July 2009
  • Newer Model is Panasonic GH2
Photography Glossary

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Overview

On this page, we will be matching up the Olympus SP-610UZ and Panasonic GH1, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SP-610UZ (14MP) and the GH1 (12MP) is relatively close but the SP-610UZ (1/2.3") and GH1 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The SP-610UZ was launched 19 months after the GH1 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-610UZ being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the SP-610UZ grades versus the GH1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus SP-610UZ over the Panasonic GH1

 SP-610UZ GH1 
ReleasedJanuary 2011July 2009More modern by 19 months

Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Olympus SP-610UZ

 GH1 SP-610UZ 
Manually focus Dial exact focusing
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution460k230kSharper screen (+230k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus SP-610UZ and Panasonic GH1

 SP-610UZ GH1 
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen sizing
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-610UZ enjoys physical dimensions of 107mm x 73mm x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") and a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs) and the Panasonic GH1 has dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") having a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

See the Olympus SP-610UZ and Panasonic GH1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the SP-610UZ vs the GH1.

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-610UZ and GH1 is 79 and 81 respectively.

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizes only by looking through a spec sheet. The picture underneath should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-610UZ and GH1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SP-610UZ because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus SP-610UZ will result in greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The fresher SP-610UZ is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 sensor size comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ Portrait photography info
Panasonic GH1 Portrait photography info
28
decent megapixels (14MP)
lack of manual focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
59
manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Street Comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ as a Street photography camera
Panasonic GH1 as a Street photography camera
50
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
72
screen articulates fully
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Sports Comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ Sports photography highlights
Panasonic GH1 Sports photography highlights
39
incredible zoom range (28-616mm 22.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
32
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
continuous shooting slow (3.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
bad battery life (320 per charge)
lacks phase detect AF
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Travel Comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic GH1 as a Travel photography camera
61
decent megapixels (14MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (28mm)
great reach (616mm)
no Timelapse mode
does not have selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
58
built-in flash
selfie friendly screen
doesn't have Timelapse function
bad battery life (320 per charge)
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Landscape Comparison

Olympus SP-610UZ Landscape photography information
Panasonic GH1 Landscape photography information
40
rather wide (28mm)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (14MP)
lack of manual focus
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
no manual control
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
no Timelapse mode
55
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
bad battery life (320 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse function
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus SP-610UZ
Vlogging with Panasonic GH1
26
rather wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
does not have selfie friendly screen
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pxls)
no microphone jack
72
selfie friendly screen
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes microphone jack
lack of image stabilization
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SP-610UZ and Panasonic GH1
 Olympus SP-610UZPanasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
General Information
Brand Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus SP-610UZ Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Advanced Mirrorless
Launched 2011-01-06 2009-07-10
Body design Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III Venus Engine HD
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 18.89 x 14.48mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 273.5mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4288 x 3216 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 3200 1600
Highest enhanced ISO - 3200
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 11 -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens zoom range 28-616mm (22.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.3-5.7 -
Macro focusing range 1cm -
Total lenses - 107
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.9
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen tech TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 seconds 60 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 1.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 6.30 m 10.50 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
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 405g (0.89 lb) 385g (0.85 lb)
Physical dimensions 107 x 73 x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") 124 x 90 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 64
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 21.6
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 772
Other
Battery life 340 pictures 320 pictures
Battery format AA Battery Pack
Battery ID 4 x AA -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC
Storage slots Single Single
Launch cost $299 $949