Nikon D40 vs Panasonic GH3

Below, we are comparing the Nikon D40 vs Panasonic GH3, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Nikon and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the D40 (6MP) and GH3 (16MP) and the D40 (APS-C) and GH3 (Four Thirds) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The D40 was released 6 years before the GH3 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Nikon D40 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the D40 grades against the GH3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon D40 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. The complete galleries are viewable at Nikon D40 Gallery & Panasonic GH3 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D40 features exterior measurements of 124mm x 94mm x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 522 grams (1.15 lbs) while the Panasonic GH3 has dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") and a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Nikon D40 vs Panasonic GH3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the D40 versus the GH3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the D40 and GH3 is 71 and 66 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The visual below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the D40 and GH3.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The D40 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic GH3 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos much more aggressively. The older D40 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.