Olympus 8000 vs Panasonic GH4

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus 8000 and Panasonic GH4, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and GH4 (16MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and GH4 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor size.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The 8000 was introduced 5 years prior to the GH4 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH4 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the 8000 scores vs the GH4 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Panasonic GH4 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus 8000 comes with physical dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GH4 has specifications of 133mm x 93mm x 84mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.3") and a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 8000 and Panasonic GH4 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the 8000 versus the GH4.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 8000 and GH4 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements just by checking a spec sheet. The visual here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the 8000 and GH4.

Clearly, both of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 8000 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic GH4 will give you extra detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The older 8000 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.