Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GF8

In this write-up, we will be comparing the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GF8, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and GF8 (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-420 was manufactured 8 years before the GF8 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic GF8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-420 grades against the GF8 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic GF8 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 comes with exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic GF8 has proportions of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GF8 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-420 compared to the GF8.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and GF8 is 77 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and GF8.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can expect the Panasonic GF8 to give more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-420 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.