Panasonic S1 vs Olympus E-M1X Comparison

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Panasonic S1

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Olympus E-M1X

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic S1 vs Olympus E-M1X Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S1 and E-M1X, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Panasonic S1 was introduced to market in February 2019 and Olympus E-M1X was launched in January 2019. Both S1 and E-M1X were launched within the same month so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and available technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2019-02-01

24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50 - 204800)

Leica L Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.20" Tilting Screen

5760k dot Electronic viewfinder

9.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

1021g. 149 x 110 x 97 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Olympus E-M1X Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2019-01-24

20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 64)

Micro Four Thirds Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.00" Fully Articulated Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

15.0fps (60.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting

4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

997g. 144 x 147 x 75 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 over Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Sensor Resolution	24 MP vs 20 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	51.200 vs 25.600	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	225 vs 121	104 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3.2 vs 3	0.2 inches larger display
LCD Resolution	2.100k dots vs 1.037k dots	102% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Resolution	5760k dot vs 2360k dot	144% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area	35.30µm² vs 11.22µm²	214% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily
Full-size HDMI Port	Yes vs No	Use standard HDMI cables without adapters
Post Focus Mode	Yes vs No	Change focus point after taking a shot
Illuminated Buttons	Yes vs No	Find the buttons easily in dark

CHECK S1 PRICE

Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1X over Panasonic Lumix DC-S1

Live Composite Mode	Yes vs No	Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Viewfinder Magnif.	0.83x vs 0.78x	Larger Viewfinder
Max Elect. Shutter	1/32000s vs 1/8000s	faster electronic shutter
Continuous Shooting	60.0fps vs 9.0fps	51 fps faster
Battery Life	870 shots vs 380 shots	490 more frames with a single charge
Weight	997 g vs 1021 g	24 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	4096 x 2160 vs 3840 x 2160	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±5 EV vs ±3 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Built-in ND Filter	5.0-stops vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light
Max Video Bit rate	237mbps vs 150mbps	Higher bit rate for better video quality
Vehicle Tracking AF	Yes vs No	Easily lock and track racing cars and bikes
Webcam Function	Yes vs No	Use your camera as a Webcam
Eye Tracking Focus	Yes vs No	Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject

CHECK E-M1X PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection	Yes vs Yes	Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fully Articulated	Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs Yes	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	24 MP vs 20 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs Yes	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs Yes	Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode	Yes (96.0MP) vs Yes (80.0MP Tripod, 50MP Handheld)	Increased resolution with Pixel Shifting
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs Yes	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking	Yes vs Yes	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Storage Slot	2 vs 2	Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Video Bit rates	150mbps vs 237mbps	High Video quality
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs UHS-II	Read/Write in High Speeds
Anti_flicker	Yes vs Yes	Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Built-in Flash	No vs No	Require external flash

Panasonic S1 vs Olympus E-M1X: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S1 has external dimensions of 149 x 110 x 97 mm (5.87 x 4.33 x 3.82″) and weighs 1021 g (2.25 lb) (including batteries). Olympus E-M1X has external dimensions of 144 x 147 x 75 mm (5.67 x 5.79 x 2.95″) and weighs 997 g (2.20 lb / 35.17 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X. Olympus E-M1X is 5mm narrower and 22mm thinner than Panasonic S1 but it is also 37mm taller.

Comparison image of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X.

Comparison image of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-M1X is 24g lighter than the Panasonic S1 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Panasonic S1 has a Full frame sensor and Olympus E-M1X has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-M1X's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Panasonic S1 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M1X

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-M1X

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both S1 and E-M1X have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S1's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-M1X's 3 screen.

Panasonic S1 vs Olympus E-M1X: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S1 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-M1X has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual TruePic VIII processor.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic S1's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S1 and E-M1X sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic S1 has a 3.7x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-M1X. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic S1 vs Olympus E-M1X Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Olympus E-M1X has an advantage over Panasonic S1 There are 119 lenses for Olympus E-M1X's Micro Four Thirds mount, on the other hand there are only 55 lenses for Panasonic S1's Leica L lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. S1's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards whereas E-M1X's IS system is rated upto 7.0-stops.

Lens Type	# of Panasonic S1 Lenses	# of Olympus E-M1X Lenses
Standard Zoom	8 (7 Full Frame)	17
Standard Prime	11 (10 Full Frame)	15
Wideangle Zoom	4 (4 Full Frame)	6
Wideangle Prime	17 (16 Full Frame)	32
Telephoto Zoom	6 (6 Full Frame)	19
Telephoto Prime	7 (7 Full Frame)	11
SuperZoom	n/a	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	n/a	5
Macro Prime	2 (2 Full Frame)	4
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	1
TOTAL	55 (52 Full Frame)	119

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Panasonic S 24-70mm F2.8	24 - 70mm	935gr	1956gr	140mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO	24 - 80mm	382gr	1379gr	84mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Panasonic S 70-200 F2.8	70 - 200mm	1570gr	2591gr	209mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0	70 - 200mm	1650gr	2647gr	214mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Panasonic S 50mm F1.4	50mm	955gr	1976gr	130mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus M 25mm F1.8	50mm	136gr	1133gr	41mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art	14 - 24mm	795gr	1816gr	131mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO	14 - 28mm	534gr	1531gr	106mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Panasonic S 24-105mm F4	24 - 105mm	680gr	1701gr	118mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD	24 - 120mm	575gr	1572gr	99mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS	100 - 400mm	1135gr	2156gr	197mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS	300 - 800mm	1850gr	2847gr	314mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic S1 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1X for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1X for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
121 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 870 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-M1X for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
1021g
Body Thickness 97mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
997g
Body Thickness 75mm
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details

Panasonic S1 vs Olympus E-M1X: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic S1 and Olympus E-M1X scores compare:

Panasonic S1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #17 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #18 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M1X

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #49 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #69 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Panasonic S1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus E-M1X in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Panasonic S1.

Olympus E-M1X vs Panasonic S1 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DC-S1	Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Brand	Panasonic	Olympus
Announced	2019-02-01	2019-01-24
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	Full frame	Four Thirds
Dimensions	35.6 x 23.8 mm	17.4 x 13 mm
Area	847.28mm²	226.20mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	5184 x 3888
Max Native Light sensitivity	51,200 ISO	25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	204800 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	50 ISO	64 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	225	121
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Leica L	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	55	119
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fully Articulated
Size	3.20"	3.00"
Resolution	2,100k dots	1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	5,760k dots	2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78x	0.83x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/8000s	1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter	1/8000s	1/32000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	1/320s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	9.0 fps	15.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	4096 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264, H.265	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	1021g	997g
Dimensions	149 x 110 x 97mm	144 x 147 x 75mm
Battery Life	380 shots	870 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	95	not tested
DxO Color Depth	25.2	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	14.5	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	3333	not tested
	Report a correction	Report a correction