Olympus 6000 vs Panasonic GH2

Lets look closer at the Olympus 6000 and Panasonic GH2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the 6000 (10MP) and GH2 (16MP) and the 6000 (1/2.3") and GH2 (Four Thirds) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The 6000 was released 21 months prior to the GH2 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 6000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summation of how the 6000 scores against the GH2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 6000 Gallery & Panasonic GH2 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 6000 provides exterior measurements of 95mm x 63mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 179 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Panasonic GH2 has dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") with a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 6000 and Panasonic GH2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the 6000 and the GH2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 6000 and GH2 is 94 and 70 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing just by looking at a spec sheet. The visual underneath should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the 6000 and GH2.

As you can see, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 6000 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh tougher and the Panasonic GH2 will give more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older 6000 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.