Panasonic ZS80 vs Panasonic GH4

Here is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic ZS80 and Panasonic GH4, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro Mirrorless and they are both offered by Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and GH4 (16MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and GH4 (Four Thirds) posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was launched 4 years later than the GH4 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH4 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the ZS80 matches up vs the GH4 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Panasonic GH4 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS80 has exterior measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic GH4 has sizing of 133mm x 93mm x 84mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.3") and a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS80 and Panasonic GH4 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the ZS80 versus the GH4.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS80 and GH4 is 86 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing just by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph here will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS80 and GH4.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS80 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The newer ZS80 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.