Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GF2

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic GF2, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and GF2 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-500 was revealed 6 years prior to the GF2 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GF2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-500 scores vs the GF2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic GF2 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 comes with external dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GF2 has specifications of 113mm x 68mm x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic GF2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 and the GF2.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and GF2 is 70 and 88 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements just by going over specifications. The visual underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and GF2.

Plainly, both of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You should anticipate the Panasonic GF2 to offer you more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.