Olympus 1s vs Panasonic GH1

Below is a extended review of the Olympus 1s and Panasonic GH1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the 1s (12MP) and the GH1 (12MP) is relatively similar but the 1s (1/1.7") and GH1 (Four Thirds) come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was revealed 5 years later than the GH1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a thorough comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the 1s scores against the GH1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus 1s Gallery & Panasonic GH1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus 1s comes with physical dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") having a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GH1 has measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 1s and Panasonic GH1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the 1s compared to the GH1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 1s and GH1 is 79 and 81 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to see the difference between sensor measurements merely by going over technical specs. The graphic underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and GH1.

As you can tell, each of the cameras offer the same exact megapixel count albeit not the same sensor measurements. The 1s comes with the tinier sensor which will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging. The younger 1s will have a benefit in sensor technology.