Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic G85

In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic G85, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SH-50 (16MP) and the G85 (16MP) is very similar but the SH-50 (1/2.3") and G85 (Four Thirds) use different sensor measurements.

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The SH-50 was unveiled 4 years earlier than the G85 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G85 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the SH-50 grades versus the G85 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SH-50 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Panasonic G85 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-50 offers outside measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G85 has dimensions of 128mm x 89mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 2.9") along with a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic G85 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the SH-50 against the G85.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-50 and G85 is 88 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing merely by going over specs. The photograph below may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and G85.

All in all, both cameras offer the same exact MP but different sensor sizing. The SH-50 uses the tinier sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field harder. The older SH-50 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.