Dynamic range
With a physically smaller sensor than cameras with equivalent-resolution APS-C-size sensors, the dynamic range of the G3 is always going to struggle to compete. Like other cameras with four thirds sensors, I found that highlights have a tendency to burn out to white slightly before I would expect them to with a camera with a larger sensor.
At present, DxO Mark (www.dxomark.com) has yet to test the G3’s sensor, but from what I have seen in images produced by the camera I would estimate that the dynamic range is around 10.5EV. Given that DxO rated the 16.05-million-pixel sensor of the GH2 as having a 10.82EV, I would expect the range of the G3 to be very similar, based on the resolution of the camera. This rating is actually slightly better than the 12-million-pixel G2 and GF2 cameras, which both scored nearly 10EV in DxO’s tests.
This shows the improvements in the micro four thirds sensor technology over the past year. The dynamic range is actually better than that of the lower 14.1-million-pixel resolution of the Samsung NX11, which has an APS-C-size sensor. However, the similarly priced but slightly higher resolution Nikon D5100 has a maximum dynamic range of just over 13EV.
Although the dynamic range of the micro four thirds cameras is improving as the resolution is increasing, generally it seems that there is still a compromise that has to be made when these models are compared to cameras with an APS-C-size sensor.
