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Panasonic GH2 vs Olympus E-M1X Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Panasonic GH2

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic GH2
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Olympus E-M1X

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

Olympus E-M1X
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Panasonic GH2 vs Olympus E-M1X Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Panasonic GH2 was introduced to market in March 2011 and Olympus E-M1X was launched in January 2019. As you can see, GH2 is 8 years older than E-M1X. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have Four Thirds sensors but Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0 MP and Olympus E-M1X has a 20.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic GH2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-03-23
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 442g. 124 x 90 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Compare

Olympus E-M1X Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-01-24
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 60.0 fps 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

Panasonic GH2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Olympus OM-D E-M1X

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 over Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
442 g vs 997 g 555 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 11.22µm2 25% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1X over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder Magnification
0.83x vs 0.71x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 23 98 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 460k dots 125% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 3.0fps 57 fps faster
Battery Life
870 shots vs 330 shots 540 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Built-in ND Filter
5.0-stops vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (80.0MP Tripod, 50MP Handheld) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Adjustable LCD Screen
Fully Articulated 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
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 and Olympus E-M1X side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic GH2 has external dimensions of 124 x 90 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 2.99″) and weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz) (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 GH2 and Olympus E-M1X. Panasonic GH2 is 20mm narrower and 57mm shorter than Olympus E-M1X but it is also 1mm thicker.

Panasonic GH2 vs Olympus E-M1X Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X.
Panasonic GH2 vs Olympus E-M1X Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 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. Panasonic GH2 is significantly lighter (555g ) than the Olympus E-M1X which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 both Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X have the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount and Four Thirds sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GH2
E-M1X
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GH2
E-M1X
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of E-M1X, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to GH2.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Both cameras feature Fully Articulating screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. Fully articulating screens are also useful for taking Selfie shots and video.
Panasonic GH2 vs Olympus E-M1X: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD 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.

Below you can see the GH2 and E-M1X sensor size comparison.

Panasonic GH2 vs Olympus E-M1X Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X Cameras


Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic GH2 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. Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X have the same Micro Four Thirds and have total of 107 lenses to choose from.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Olympus E-M1X has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. GH2's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compnesate vibration up to 7.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Panasonic GH2 Lenses # of Olympus E-M1X Lenses
Standard Zoom 15 15
Standard Prime 13 13
Wideangle Zoom 5 5
Wideangle Prime 29 29
Telephoto Zoom 18 18
Telephoto Prime 9 9
SuperZoom 8 8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 5
Macro Prime 4 4
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 107 107

Here are some of the most popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for GH2 and E-M1X
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS
FourThirds 210gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH.  Power O.I.S Lens Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. Power O.I.S
FourThirds 265gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO Lens Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO
FourThirds 382gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH Lens Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH
FourThirds 125gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye Body Cap Lens Lens Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye Body Cap Lens
FourThirds 30gr MF Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8 Lens Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8
FourThirds 136gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH Power OIS
FourThirds 305gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS Lens Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS
FourThirds 360gr AF Amazon B&H Photo

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Panasonic GH2 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 12-35mm F2.8 OIS Lens Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS
24 - 70mm 305gr 747gr 74mm Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO Lens 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 X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS Lens Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS
70 - 200mm 357gr 799gr 100mm Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 Lens 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 25mm F1.4 II ASPH Lens Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH
50mm 205gr 647gr 55mm Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M 25mm F1.8 Lens 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
Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Lens Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH
16 - 36mm 315gr 757gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO Lens 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 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS
24 - 120mm 320gr 762gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD Lens 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
Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 Lens Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3
200 - 800mm 985gr 1427gr 172mm Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS Lens Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS
300mm 1850gr 2847gr mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Panasonic GH2 and Olympus E-M1X Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1X for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
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 GH2 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1X for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
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 GH2 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1X for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
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 GH2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1X for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
442g
Body Thickness 76mm
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 GH2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-M1X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 and Olympus E-M1X, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 GH2 and Olympus E-M1X scores compare:

Panasonic GH2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #77 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #299 out of 1225 in all Cameras
Olympus E-M1X
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #38 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #60 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M1X is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic GH2 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic GH2. Otherwise, Olympus E-M1X is the better camera overall.

Panasonic GH2
Panasonic GH2
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Olympus E-M1X
Olympus E-M1X
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Olympus E-M1X vs Panasonic GH2 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Brand Panasonic Olympus
Announced 2011-03-23 2019-01-24
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 17.4 x 13 mm
Area 224.90mm2 226.20mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 5184 x 3888
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 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 23 121
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 107 107
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fully Articulated
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution n/a 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.83x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/32000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 15.60 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/160s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 60.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 4096 x 2160
Video Formats AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 442g 997g
Dimensions 124 x 90 x 76mm 144 x 147 x 75mm
Battery Life 330 shots 870 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 60 not tested
DxO Color Depth 21.2 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 11.3 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 655 not tested
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