Olympus VG-145 vs Panasonic G3

Following is a extended review of the Olympus VG-145 and Panasonic G3, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the VG-145 (14MP) and the G3 (16MP) is fairly close but the VG-145 (1/2.3") and G3 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The VG-145 was introduced at a similar time to the G3 so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-145 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise overview of how the VG-145 grades vs the G3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-145 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus VG-145 Gallery and Panasonic G3 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-145 comes with outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G3 has measurements of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VG-145 and Panasonic G3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the VG-145 against the G3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the VG-145 and G3 is 96 and 83 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by viewing a spec sheet. The image here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-145 and G3.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VG-145 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic G3 will render more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos more aggressively.