Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Panasonic GF8

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus SP-800 UZ versus Panasonic GF8, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SP-800 UZ (14MP) and the GF8 (16MP) is very comparable but the SP-800 UZ (1/2.3") and GF8 (Four Thirds) provide totally different sensor size.

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The SP-800 UZ was released 7 years before the GF8 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-800 UZ being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the SP-800 UZ scores vs the GF8 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SP-800 UZ & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SP-800 UZ Gallery & Panasonic GF8 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-800 UZ has got external dimensions of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GF8 has proportions of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SP-800 UZ versus Panasonic GF8 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the SP-800 UZ vs the GF8.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-800 UZ and GF8 is 69 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing technical specs. The graphic below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-800 UZ and GF8.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SP-800 UZ because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Panasonic GF8 will show greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older SP-800 UZ will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.