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Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2

Portability
77
Imaging
45
Features
36
Overall
41
Olympus E-420 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 front
Portability
72
Imaging
48
Features
60
Overall
52

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Key Specs

Olympus E-420
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
  • Introduced June 2008
  • Replaced the Olympus E-410
Panasonic G2
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 428g - 124 x 84 x 74mm
  • Launched July 2010
  • Replaced the Panasonic G1
  • Successor is Panasonic G3
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Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Overview

Below is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic G2, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the G2 (12MP) is very comparable and both cameras offer the same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-420 was revealed 24 months prior to the G2 making them a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic G2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-420 matches up versus the G2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Panasonic G2

 E-420 G2 

Reasons to pick Panasonic G2 over the Olympus E-420

 G2 E-420 
LaunchedJuly 2010June 2008More recent by 24 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic G2

 E-420 G2 
Manual focus Very accurate focus

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to lug around your camera, you have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 enjoys exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic G2 has sizing of 124mm x 84mm x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9") along with a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic G2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-420 versus the G2.

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and G2 is 77 and 72 respectively.

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it's tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements purely by seeing specs. The visual below may give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and G2.

All in all, each of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different resolution. You should expect to see the Panasonic G2 to provide more detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-420 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic G2 as a Portrait photography camera
57
manual focus
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
60
focusing manually
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detect focusing
saves RAW files
sensor resolution low (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-420 Street photography info
Panasonic G2 Street photography info
64
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
lighter than competition (426 grams)
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
65
fully articulated screen
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
supports touch to focus
lack of image stabilization
more heavy than competitors (428 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-420 as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic G2 as a Sports photography camera
39
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
comes with phase detect AF
max fps low (4.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (10MP)
low battery pack (500 CIPA)
40
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames per second)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
has no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-420 as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic G2 as a Travel photography camera
53
lighter than competition (426 grams)
built-in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
low battery pack (500 CIPA)
low megapixels (10MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
58
supports touch to focus
built-in flash
screen is selfie friendly
doesn't have Timelapse recording
more heavy than competitors (428 grams)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-420 Landscape photography highlights
Panasonic G2 Landscape photography highlights
47
manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (10MP)
low battery pack (500 CIPA)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
57
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a good size (3")
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-420
Vlogging with Panasonic G2
9
can't record video
61
screen is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
comes with face detect focusing
comes with microphone port
lack of image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pxls)
more heavy than competitors (428g)
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Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic G2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic G2
 Olympus E-420Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus E-420 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Type Entry-Level DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2008-06-23 2010-07-12
Body design Compact SLR SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic III Venus Engine HD II
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 1600 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 3 -
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Available lenses 45 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Display diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 230k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display tech - TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440k dot
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x 0.55x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 secs 60 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 4.0 frames per sec 3.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 11.00 m
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/180 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1280x720
Video data format - AVCHD Lite, Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 426g (0.94 lb) 428g (0.94 lb)
Physical dimensions 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") 124 x 84 x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 56 53
DXO Color Depth score 21.5 21.2
DXO Dynamic range score 10.4 10.3
DXO Low light score 527 493
Other
Battery life 500 photos 360 photos
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Pricing at launch $999 $1,000