Olympus SH-3 vs Panasonic G2

Following is a extensive overview of the Olympus SH-3 versus Panasonic G2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and G2 (12MP) and the SH-3 (1/2.3") and G2 (Four Thirds) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-3 was announced 5 years after the G2 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SH-3 scores vs the G2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Panasonic G2 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-3 provides external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G2 has dimensions of 124mm x 84mm x 74mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.9") having a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-3 versus Panasonic G2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the SH-3 against the G2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and G2 is 88 and 72 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizes only by looking through a spec sheet. The image underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-3 and G2.

As you can see, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SH-3 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus SH-3 will provide you with more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The younger SH-3 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.