Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic S5

Let's look closer at the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic S5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the SH-1 (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the SH-1 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SH-1 was launched 7 years earlier than the S5 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise view of how the SH-1 grades against the S5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-1 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-1 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-1 has got outer measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S5 has sizing of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic S5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the SH-1 and the S5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-1 and S5 is 88 and 60 respectively.

Often, its difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions only by looking at technical specs. The pic underneath will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-1 and S5.

As you have seen, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SH-1 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic S5 will give extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged SH-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.