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We shoot a specially designed chart in carefully controlled conditions and the resulting images are analysed using DXO Analyzer software to generate the data to produce the graphs below.
A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) indicates a cleaner and better quality image.
For more more details on how to interpret our test data, check out our full explanation of our noise and dynamic range tests.
Here we compare the Panasonic GF6 with the Panasonic GX1, Sony NEX-3N and Olympus E-PM2. The GF6 has the widest sensitivity range of all the cameras here.
JPEG signal to noise ratio
These results show that the Panasonic GF6's JPEG files contain the strongest signal to noise ratios of the group at ISO 160-400. The GF6's JPEGs are overtaken by those from the Sony NEX-3N at ISO 800, though, which show greater signal to noise ratios for the rest of the sensitivity range, except ISO 6400, when the GF6 is slightly stronger. JPEGs from the GF6 show stronger signal to noise ratios than JPEGs from the Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 200-800 and at ISO 3200, but at ISO 1600, 6400, 12800 and 25600 the Olympus's JPEGs are better. The GF6's JPEGs are stronger in their ratios than the Panasonic GX1's at every sensitivity setting but ISO 1600.
Raw signal to noise ratio
The Panasonic GF6's TIFF images (after conversion from raw) contain weaker signal to noise ratios than TIFFs from the Panasonic GX1, Sony NEX-3N and Olympus E-PM2 at every sensitivity setting, with the GX1 producing the most similar results.
JPEG dynamic range
JPEGs from the Panasonic GF6 contain greater dynamic range than those from the Panasonic GX1 at every sensitivity but ISO 1600, when the two cameras' images score similarly. The GF6's JPEGs show weaker dynamic range than the Olympus E-PM2's at every sensitivity setting, though. The GF6's JPEGs have greater dynamic range than the Sony NEX-3N's JPEGs at ISO 200, 400, 6400 and 12800, but at ISO 800-3200 the Sony's JPEGs have the more impressive dynamic range.
Raw dynamic range
This chart indicates that TIFF images (after conversion from raw) from the Panasonic GF6 contain a smaller dynamic range than TIFFs from the Sony NEX-3N and Olympus E-PM2 at every sensitivity setting. The GF6's TIFFs have slightly greater dynamic range than the Panasonic GX1's at ISO 160 and 12800, but the GX1's images are stronger at the other sensitivities.
