Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GF3

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GF3, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the GF3 (12MP) is relatively close and both cameras boast the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-420 was unveiled 4 years earlier than the GF3 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-420 scores vs the GF3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic GF3 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 features outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GF3 has proportions of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") with a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GF3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-420 against the GF3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and GF3 is 77 and 90 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by viewing specs. The image underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and GF3.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Panasonic GF3 to provide you with extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.