Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic GF8

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic GF8, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and GF8 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-500 was introduced 11 years prior to the GF8 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera 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 GF8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-500 scores against the GF8 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic GF8 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 enjoys outer dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Panasonic GF8 has sizing of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic GF8 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-500 compared to the GF8.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and GF8 is 70 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizing just by checking out specs. The photograph underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and GF8.

All in all, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Panasonic GF8 to show more detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 will be behind in sensor technology.