Canon G12 vs Olympus E-PM1

Olympus E-PM1 advantages over Canon G12

• Larger sensor
  4/3 vs 1/1.7 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.29 vs 2.08 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Fast startup
  ~1.80 vs 2.7 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  E-PM1 test data on DxO Mark G12 test data on DxO Mark
  499 vs 161 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Manual focus
  Yes vs No
  AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
• Thinner
  34 mm vs 48 mm
  Thinner
• Less shutter lag
  0.25 vs 0.66 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  12.3 vs 10.0 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Longer exposure
  60 vs 15 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Faster JPEG shooting
  5.3 fps vs 2.0 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)