help please. olympus e-510 vs. lumix gf3

[bkossmann]

i'm just a casual photographer, but i am pretty picky about image quality.

i've been using an olympus e-510 for years, but i am trying to make the switch to my new lumix gf3.

i'm doing this because of the compactness of the gf3, and also my e-510 won't autofocus in dim light.

i've found that the gf3 will autofocus in much lower light than the e-510, and the autofocus is much faster than the e-520.

also the size and weight of the gf3 really makes me happy.

the problem is that i am finding that the e-510 takes better photos than the gf3. i did some comparison testing. outdoor landscapes. the gf3 pics looked very nice, until you put them right next to the same shot taken with the e-510. the e-510 pics showed way more detail and more realistic color. i was using the kit lens in both cameras, which is a 14-42 for both

is this just due to the olympus lens being superior to the lumix? is 4/3 for any reason just inherent superior to the m43 as far as image quality?

 

[JOEFLY]

I HAVE 2 GF3'S AND I LOVE THEM WITH LIMITATIONS. ONE I KEEP IN MY WORK TRUCK AND RUN IT AS A DASH CAM WITH A 30 MM SIGMA. IT WORKS GREAT FOR THAT. THE OTHER I USE AS A POCKET CAMERA MOST OF THE TIME AND IT IS GOOD FOR THAT. WHAT I HAVE THE MOST TROUBLE WITH IS USING IT IN BRIGHT SUN. CANT SEE THE SCREEN VERY WELL. THE DASH CAM DOES VERY WELL WITH GUST THE STREET AND HEAD LIGHTS.

 

[usayit]

Post examples... Shooting RAW or JPEG? How are you processing both? How are you comparing?

At the time of the GF3, many of the Panasonic and Olympus m4/3 cameras shared the same sensor. I found image quality pretty uniform across the group. What makes the 4/3rds system superior are the availability of high grade lenses natively... but this is not a factor in your case. Olympus m4/3rds cameras are known to produce slightly more pleasing (to the general public) JPEG files out of camera as they tend to be more brilliant... saturation pushed a little further. Some like it some don't. I started out with both a Panasonic G1 and soon after an E-PL1 shooting purely RAW... If both processed properly and in most cases, it would be hard to distinguish between the two just staring at the final JPEG output.