Olympus 1
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-300mm (F2.8) lens
- 402g - 116 x 87 x 57mm
- Introduced November 2013
- New Model is Olympus 1s
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
79 Imaging
37 Features
65 Overall
48
Olympus 1 overview
Olympus 1 is Olympus's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first introduced on November of 2013. It has a 12 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/1.7" size sensor with a peak resolution of 3968 x 2976.
Olympus introduced the fresher Olympus 1s (Read Full Comparison) as a way to upgrade this model.
The 1 ranks at #32 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & all around #458 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can use our Advanced camera finder to find camera ratings based on your personalized criteria.
Here is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.
Olympus 1 history
The Olympus 1 has a history of related cameras. Here, you can see all older and latest models alongside key specs.
F2.812MP1/1.7"2013
Olympus 1 Gallery
You can look at the 1 from different angles in the gallery underneath.
Olympus 1 Pros and Cons
Here is a checklist of advantages and drawbacks of the Olympus 1 based on aspects that are usually seen as useful in a digital camera.
Olympus 1 Sensor specs
The Olympus 1 is powered by the TruePic VI chip. The size of the sensor on the Olympus 1 is 7.44mm x 5.58mm (1/1.7"). The 42 mm² sensor is able to resolve 3968 x 2976 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.
Photography GlossaryThe BSI-CMOS sensor has 12 megapixels and has a standard ISO range of 100 to 12800. RAW format is supported which means that the user has more margin for error.
The picture below illustrates the 1's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The 1 sensor has a crop factor of 4.8 and is outlined in green.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsTo get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.
Olympus 1 dimensions
Olympus 1 has a weight of 0.89 lb (402g or 14.18 ounces) & has outer measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g and the Olympus 1 is very similar as compared to its rivals.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneListed below is a visual of the Olympus 1 beside a soda so you can get a sense of its size.
The top view directly below will provide the button layout on the 1.
Olympus 1 Lens details
The 1 has got a built-in lens having a focal range of 28-300mm giving it a 10.7 x zoom which might not be amazing but it will probably be handy in some scenarios.
At it's widest 28mm, it has an aperture of f2.8 which will be rather sluggish and not very good for low light events and you might find it difficult to get good bokeh. You will probably also have to raise your ISO setting giving you noisy images.is great zoom and
Olympus 1 Connectivity
The 1 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras that consist of NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to send files and usually alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting physically with the camera.
Several apps also provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI port, it can easily be connected to an external monitor. Many cameras will allow you to recharge the battery with the USB port.
Olympus 1 Video details
The highest video resolution on the Olympus 1 is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution offers a decent balance for video quality and file size but FULL HD is not going to give you any room to downsample. The body doesn't include a microphone and headphone port which means you get absolutely no control over the sound. It is perhaps best to purchase an alternative camera in case you want better sound for your videos.
Olympus 1 Weather Sealing
There is no weather sealing on the Olympus 1 so you have to be cautious in rainy and dusty situations.
Olympus 1 Screen and Viewfinder
The Olympus 1 has a 3" tilting display having a resolution of 1,040k dots.
Moreover the display is touch friendly which means that you can shift focus point and change settings with your finger.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe View Finder specs for Olympus 1 are the following:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- ViewFinder Resolution 1,440k dots
- ViewFinder Coverage 100 percent
Viewfinders can be pretty helpful for bright outdoor situations which can easily make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.
Olympus 1 Shutter details
Olympus 1 is able to shoot continuously at 7.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.
Olympus 1 Flash and Hot shoe details
Olympus 1 has both inbuilt flash as well as external flash ability. The maximum flash sync speed is 1/2000 sec.
Olympus 1 Autofocusing details
Olympus 1 has only Contrast Based AF & lacks Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more faster and exact as compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera has Face detection making it valuable for taking portraits of people.
The Sensor has 25 focus points to select from. Olympus 1 has tap to focus. You are able to use your fingers to switch focus. It also boasts Tracking AF for moving objects. Olympus 1 boasts manual focusing when needed for low light conditions or you need to have more precise control on focusing.
Olympus 1 Battery life
The battery power (BLS-5) on the Olympus 1 is built to last for 410 pictures as per the CIPA benchmarks making it above the usual for its category. The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR comes with the highest (600) battery life for this type of cameras.
Underneath is a list of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras with the best battery life:
Olympus 1 for varying styles of photography
The following graph indicates a summation of the Olympus 1 for varying styles of photography. To view more, visit the specific paragraph below.
Olympus 1 Portrait photography info
The Olympus 1 gets a score of 48 which is decent, meaning that it is relatively suited to use for portraits. Photographing portraits favors heavily to sensor specs, support for RAW files and capability to work with external lighting.
Olympus 1 Street photography highlights
Getting a very good score of 70, the Olympus 1 is a respectable pick to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of image quality and portability.
Olympus 1 as a Sports photography camera
A bad sports photography points tally of 43 indicates the Olympus 1 is just not suitable for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs fantastic focusing and continuous shooting for sports photography.
Olympus 1 as a Travel photography camera
Portability is very critical when selecting a travel camera. On the whole, the Olympus 1 gets a nice 61 as a travelling camera which is a fine choice to purchase for your journeys.
Olympus 1 Landscape photography highlights
When you're looking to pick a digital camera for landscape photography, the biggest factor will be image quality. The Olympus 1 at it's reasonable grade of 49 as a landscape camera is reasonably appropriate compared to its competitors.
Olympus 1 Vlogging features
A camera for vlogging really should offer a articulating screen, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Olympus 1 is just not suitable as a vlog camera as it gets a bad score of 32.
Olympus 1 Alternatives
If you are interested in replacements to the 1, below is a collection of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.
The diagram below will give you an overview of the 1 versus it's highest ranked competitors mentioned previously.
These are various other cameras you may view as alternate options. To look at a complete comparison, visit the "compare" link.