Nikon D3100 vs Panasonic G7

Let's look much closer at the Nikon D3100 and Panasonic G7, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Nikon and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the D3100 (14MP) and the G7 (16MP) is fairly comparable but the D3100 (APS-C) and G7 (Four Thirds) have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The D3100 was launched 5 years before the G7 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Nikon D3100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic G7 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the D3100 grades vs the G7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon D3100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7. The complete galleries are provided at Nikon D3100 Gallery and Panasonic G7 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D3100 has external dimensions of 124mm x 96mm x 75mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0") having a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs) while the Panasonic G7 has dimensions of 125mm x 86mm x 77mm (4.9" x 3.4" x 3.0") with a weight of 410 grams (0.90 lbs).

Check the Nikon D3100 and Panasonic G7 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the D3100 vs the G7.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the D3100 and G7 is 68 and 71 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes just by going through specs. The image underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the D3100 and G7.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The D3100 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic G7 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged D3100 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.