Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH3

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GH3, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and GH3 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The E-420 was manufactured 5 years prior to the GH3 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the E-420 matches up against the GH3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic GH3 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 offers exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic GH3 has sizing of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GH3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-420 compared to the GH3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and GH3 is 77 and 66 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements simply by checking out specs. The photograph underneath may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and GH3.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Panasonic GH3 to show extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.