Canon 400D vs Panasonic G2 Comparison

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Canon 400D

10 MP | APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic G2

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Canon 400D vs Panasonic G2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon 400D, which was introduced in October 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Panasonic G2, which was introduced in July 2010 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, 400D is 4 years older than G2. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 400D Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-10-14

10MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Canon EF/EF-S Mount

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

556g. 127 x 94 x 65 mm

Also known as EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X

Replaced Canon EOS 350D Compare

Panasonic G2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-07-12

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

428g. 124 x 84 x 74 mm

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Compare

Canon 400D was replaced by Canon EOS 450D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 450D vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)
Canon EOS 450D vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Panasonic G2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 400D over Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 11.0m	1m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 21.2	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	11.0 vs 10.3	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	664 vs 493	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	32.60µm² vs 18.74µm²	73% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 over Canon EOS 400D

LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnification	0.55x vs 0.5x	Larger Viewfinder
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	6.400 vs 1.600	300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 95%	More accurate viewfinder
Weight	428 g vs 556 g	128 g lighter
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 400D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 400D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs Optical	No Built-in stabilization
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Canon 400D vs Panasonic G2: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon 400D has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 65 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.56″) and weighs 556 g (1.23 lb / 19.61 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic G2 has external dimensions of 124 x 84 x 74 mm (4.88 x 3.31 x 2.91″) and weighs 428 g (0.94 lb / 15.10 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 400D and Panasonic G2. Panasonic G2 is 3mm narrower and 10mm shorter than Canon 400D but it is also 9mm thicker.

Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 400D and Panasonic G2.

Top View Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic G2 is significantly lighter (128g ) than the Canon 400D which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Canon 400D has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic G2 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic G2's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 400D lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X) nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic G2's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 400D's 2.5" screen.

Moreover, Panasonic G2 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Canon 400D has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to G2.

Canon 400D vs Panasonic G2: Sensor Comparison

Canon 400D has a 10.0MP APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic G2 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine HD II processor.

Below you can see the 400D and G2 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 Cameras

As seen above, Canon 400D has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G2. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 400D has scored 62, 9 points higher than G2.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon 400D	62	22.1 bits	11.0 Evs	664 ISO
Panasonic G2	53	21.2 bits	10.3 Evs	493 ISO

Canon 400D vs Panasonic G2 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 400D has an advantage over Panasonic G2. There are 326 lenses for Canon 400D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic G2's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 112 lenses for Canon EF/EF-S mount and 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type	# of Canon 400D Lenses	# of Panasonic G2 Lenses
Standard Zoom	40	15
Standard Prime	19	13
Wideangle Zoom	37	5
Wideangle Prime	49	29
Telephoto Zoom	58	18
Telephoto Prime	43	9
SuperZoom	28	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	7	5
Macro Prime	28	4
Perspective Control Prime	16	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	326	107

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM	25.5 - 82.5mm	645gr	1201gr	111mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS	24 - 70mm	305gr	733gr	74mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM	75 - 225mm	1350gr	1906gr	198mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS	70 - 200mm	357gr	785gr	100mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM	45mm	435gr	991gr	63mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH	50mm	205gr	633gr	55mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM	15 - 30mm	520gr	1076gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH	16 - 36mm	315gr	743gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM	22.5 - 127.5mm	575gr	1131gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS	24 - 120mm	320gr	748gr	86mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM	100 - 400mm	1590gr	2146gr	193mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3	200 - 800mm	985gr	1413gr	172mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 400D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic G2 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 400D for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic G2 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 400D for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic G2 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Canon 400D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic G2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
556g
Body Thickness 65mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
428g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Canon 400D for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic G2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 400D vs Panasonic G2: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 400D and Panasonic G2, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 400D and Panasonic G2 scores compare:

Canon 400D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #71 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #609 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic G2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #80 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #328 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic G2 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 400D. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that G2 trails behind the 400D: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 400D. If not, we recommend the Panasonic G2.

Panasonic G2 vs Canon 400D Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS 400D	Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Brand	Canon	Panasonic
Announced	2006-10-14	2010-07-12
Body Type	Compact SLR	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	22.2 x 14.8 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	328.56mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3888 x 2592	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF/EF-S	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	326	107
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fully Articulated
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.5x	0.55x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (ISO 100)	11.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1280 x 720
Video Formats	n/a	AVCHD Lite, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	556g	428g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 65mm	124 x 84 x 74mm
Battery Life	n/a	360 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	62	53
DxO Color Depth	22.1	21.2
DxO Dynamic Range	11.0	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	664	493
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