Leica Digilux 3 vs Panasonic G85

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Leica Digilux 3 vs Panasonic G85, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Leica and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the Digilux 3 (7MP) and G85 (16MP) but they possess the same exact sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The Digilux 3 was unveiled 11 years before the G85 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Leica Digilux 3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic G85 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the Digilux 3 scores versus the G85 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Leica Digilux 3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85. The full galleries are viewable at Leica Digilux 3 Gallery & Panasonic G85 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Leica Digilux 3 features external measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) and the Panasonic G85 has specifications of 128mm x 89mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 2.9") having a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs).

Look at the Leica Digilux 3 vs Panasonic G85 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is the front view size comparison of the Digilux 3 compared to the G85.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the Digilux 3 and G85 is 65 and 69 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing only by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the Digilux 3 and G85.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can expect the Panasonic G85 to give you extra detail having an extra 9MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older Digilux 3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.