Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GF7

The following is a in depth review of the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic GF7, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and GF7 (16MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-500 was released 10 years prior to the GF7 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic GF7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-500 matches up against the GF7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic GF7 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 has exterior dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Panasonic GF7 has dimensions of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") with a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic GF7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-500 vs the GF7.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and GF7 is 70 and 90 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading specifications. The image below may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and GF7.

Plainly, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Panasonic GF7 to offer more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.