Olympus 1s vs Panasonic GX85

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus 1s and Panasonic GX85, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and GX85 (16MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and GX85 (Four Thirds) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was unveiled 11 months before the GX85 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic GX85 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a simple summation of how the 1s grades versus the GX85 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 1s Gallery & Panasonic GX85 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1s features outer measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Panasonic GX85 has dimensions of 122mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus 1s and Panasonic GX85 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the 1s against the GX85.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 1s and GX85 is 79 and 83 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by reviewing technical specs. The graphic underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the 1s and GX85.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 1s with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Panasonic GX85 will offer more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older 1s is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.