Olympus SH-3 vs Panasonic GX9

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic GX9, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the GX9 (20MP) is pretty close but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and GX9 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The SH-3 was unveiled 24 months prior to the GX9 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the SH-3 matches up vs the GX9 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Panasonic GX9 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-3 has got outer dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic GX9 has measurements of 124mm x 72mm x 47mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.9") along with a weight of 407 grams (0.90 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic GX9 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the SH-3 and the GX9.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-3 and GX9 is 88 and 82 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to see the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through technical specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-3 and GX9.

As you have seen, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SH-3 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic GX9 will provide you with greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older SH-3 will be behind in sensor technology.