Olympus E-PL2 has a
12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Truepic V processor. On the other hand, Panasonic G3 has a
16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.
Below you can see the E-PL2 and G3 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic G3 Cameras
Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic G3 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Olympus E-PL2 has 29% larger pixel area compared to Panasonic G3, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic G3 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that G3 has a better overall score of 56, 1 points higher compared to E-PL2's score of 55.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Olympus E-PL2
55
21.4 bits
10.2 Evs
573 ISO
Panasonic G3
56
21.0 bits
10.6 Evs
667 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Olympus E-PL2
or the
Panasonic G3 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
