Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH2

Its time to look closer at the Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SP-610UZ (14MP) and the GH2 (16MP) is relatively close but the SP-610UZ (1/2.3") and GH2 (Four Thirds) come with different sensor measurements.

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The SP-610UZ was introduced 2 months prior to the GH2 and they are both of a similar age. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SP-610UZ being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the SP-610UZ grades vs the GH2 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-610UZ & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SP-610UZ Gallery & Panasonic GH2 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-610UZ has external measurements of 107mm x 73mm x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GH2 has proportions of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") and a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-610UZ vs Panasonic GH2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the SP-610UZ vs the GH2.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-610UZ and GH2 is 79 and 70 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic here should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-610UZ and GH2.

As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SP-610UZ using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic GH2 will render more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively.