Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5
77 Imaging
44 Features
36 Overall
40


59 Imaging
59 Features
89 Overall
71
Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Key Specs
(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
- Released June 2008
- Replaced the Olympus E-410
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 725g - 139 x 98 x 87mm
- Launched January 2017
- Superseded the Panasonic GH4
- Replacement is Panasonic GH5 II

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Overview
In this article, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GH5, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and GH5 (20MP) but they use the same exact sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

The E-420 was launched 9 years before the GH5 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic GH5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before delving straight into a full comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-420 scores vs the GH5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic GH5 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Panasonic GH5
E-420 | GH5 |
---|
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH5 over the Olympus E-420
GH5 | E-420 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2017 | ![]() | June 2008 | Fresher by 103 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen sizing | 3.2" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 1620k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper screen (+1390k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GH5
E-420 | GH5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More precise focusing |
Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 enjoys exterior dimensions 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 GH5 has proportions of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") and a weight of 725 grams (1.60 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic GH5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-420 against the GH5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and GH5 is 77 and 59 respectively.

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing only by checking out specs. The photograph below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and GH5.
As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Panasonic GH5 to provide greater detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic GH5 Specifications
Olympus E-420 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus E-420 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5 |
Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Pro Mirrorless |
Released | 2008-06-23 | 2017-01-04 |
Body design | Compact SLR | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic III | Venus Engine |
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 | 10 megapixel | 20 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 5184 x 3888 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW images | ||
Minimum enhanced ISO | - | 100 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 225 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
Available lenses | 45 | 107 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Display size | 2.7 inch | 3.2 inch |
Resolution of display | 230k dot | 1,620k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 3,680k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.76x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Fastest quiet shutter speed | - | 1/16000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 4.0 frames/s | 12.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, Auto/Redeye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On w/Redeye Reduction, Slow Sync, Slow Sync w/Redeye Reduction, Forced Off |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/180 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 4096 x 2160 (24p), 3840 x 2160 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
Highest video resolution | None | 4096x2160 |
Video file format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 426 grams (0.94 pounds) | 725 grams (1.60 pounds) |
Dimensions | 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") | 139 x 98 x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 56 | 77 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.5 | 23.9 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 13.0 |
DXO Low light rating | 527 | 807 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 500 shots | 410 shots |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 secs; 10 secs w/3 shots) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II compatible) |
Storage slots | 1 | Two |
Pricing at release | $999 | $1,298 |