Olympus PEN E-PM1 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC GH1 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus PEN E-PM1 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC GH1 are both mirrorless cameras built around Micro Four Thirds, so any Micro 4/3 lens you own fits either body. The GH1 arrived in 2009 as the larger, heavier body at 385 g, with a built-in electronic viewfinder. The 2011 E-PM1 takes the compact PEN route at 265 g and leaves the viewfinder out entirely.

The E-PM1 is the better pick for moving subjects, offering 5.5 fps continuous shooting against the GH1's 3 fps, plus 35 autofocus points to the GH1's 23 for wider coverage. It also reaches a native ISO 12800 ceiling, compared with 3200 on the GH1, giving you higher settings to try in dim interiors or evening street scenes.

Resolution is a practical match, with 12.3 megapixels on the E-PM1 against 12.1 on the GH1, so both give the same freedom for prints and modest crops. Both use CMOS Micro Four Thirds sensors with in-body stabilisation. The GH1's electronic viewfinder, with 1,440,000 dots, lets you shoot at eye level, an option the screen-only E-PM1 does not offer.

Both top out at Full HD video, with frame rates reaching 60 fps on each for smooth motion playback. The useful difference is file format. The GH1 records both AVCHD and MP4, while the E-PM1 records AVCHD alone, so the GH1 gives you MP4 clips that drop straight into most editing software.

The GH1 is the more self-contained camera for framing and light. Its built-in flash adds fill light, and its flip-out screen handles waist-level or overhead angles that the E-PM1's fixed screen cannot manage. Both accept an external flash, so studio and hotshoe work is open to either body.

Their rear displays are otherwise the same 3-inch LCD with 460,000 dots, and both offer live view with no touch input, Wi-Fi or GPS. Neither body is weather sealed, so both deserve care in rain or dust.

Storage favours the E-PM1 for long shooting sessions. It accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, while the GH1 stops at SD and SDHC, so the E-PM1 can use higher-capacity SDXC cards for a full day of shooting. Both rely on a single card slot.

Battery ratings are nearly identical, at 330 shots for the E-PM1 and 320 for the GH1 under their respective test conditions, so neither promises an endurance edge. Each uses its own battery pack, the BLS-5 and the DMW-BLB13, and neither charges over USB.