Olympus 1s vs Panasonic FH7

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus 1s and Panasonic FH7, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and FH7 (16MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and FH7 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was released 3 years later than the FH7 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic FH7 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the 1s scores vs the FH7 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus 1s Gallery & Panasonic FH7 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus 1s offers exterior dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) and the Panasonic FH7 has specifications of 95mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 1s and Panasonic FH7 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the 1s versus the FH7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 1s and FH7 is 79 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizing purely by looking at a spec sheet. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and FH7.

As you can see, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The 1s featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FH7 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The younger 1s should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.