Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic GF3

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus SH-2 and Panasonic GF3, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and GF3 (12MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and GF3 (Four Thirds) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-2 was launched 3 years later than the GF3 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the SH-2 scores against the GF3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Panasonic GF3 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-2 offers external dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic GF3 has measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-2 and Panasonic GF3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the SH-2 against the GF3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and GF3 is 88 and 90 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and GF3.

As you can see, the 2 cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SH-2 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus SH-2 will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more modern SH-2 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.