Olympus 1s vs Panasonic S5

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus 1s and Panasonic S5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and S5 (24MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and S5 (Full frame) have different sensor dimensions.

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The 1s was unveiled 6 years earlier than the S5 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the 1s grades against the S5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 1s & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 1s Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus 1s enjoys outer dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") having a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Panasonic S5 has specifications of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 1s and Panasonic S5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the 1s versus the S5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 1s and S5 is 79 and 60 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions simply by seeing technical specs. The picture here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and S5.

As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The 1s having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic S5 will show more detail having an extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged 1s will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.