Panasonic GH1 vs Pentax S1

Lets examine more closely at the Panasonic GH1 versus Pentax S1, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the GH1 (12MP) and the S1 (14MP) is very similar but the GH1 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The GH1 was announced 20 months before the S1 making the cameras a generation away from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the GH1 scores vs the S1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Pentax Optio S1. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic GH1 Gallery and Pentax S1 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GH1 provides physical dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) while the Pentax S1 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GH1 versus Pentax S1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the GH1 compared to the S1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and S1 is 81 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by going over a spec sheet. The pic here will offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the GH1 and S1.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GH1 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Pentax S1 will offer you extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged GH1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.