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Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37

Portability
93
Imaging
36
Features
36
Overall
36
Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 front
 
Sony SLT-A37 front
Portability
67
Imaging
57
Features
65
Overall
60

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Key Specs

Panasonic 3D1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F3.9-5.7) lens
  • 193g - 108 x 58 x 24mm
  • Announced November 2011
Sony A37
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.6" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 506g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Announced May 2012
  • Succeeded the Sony A35
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Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Overview

Below is a detailed analysis of the Panasonic 3D1 and Sony A37, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the 3D1 (12MP) and A37 (16MP) and the 3D1 (1/2.3") and A37 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The 3D1 was brought out 6 months prior to the A37 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic 3D1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the 3D1 grades versus the A37 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic 3D1 over the Sony A37

 3D1 A37 
Screen size3.5"2.6"Bigger screen (+0.9")
Screen resolution460k230kClearer screen (+230k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony A37 over the Panasonic 3D1

 A37 3D1 
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen

Common features in the Panasonic 3D1 and Sony A37

 3D1 A37 
AnnouncedNovember 2011May 2012Same generation
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Physical Comparison

If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic 3D1 provides external dimensions of 108mm x 58mm x 24mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) and the Sony A37 has measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic 3D1 and Sony A37 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the 3D1 vs the A37.

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 3D1 and A37 is 93 and 67 respectively.

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is very difficult to picture the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching specs. The photograph here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the 3D1 and A37.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 3D1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony A37 will render more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively.

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 sensor size comparison

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Portrait photography info
Sony A37 Portrait photography info
27
offers face detect focusing
manual focus not available
manual mode not available
can't use external flash
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
74
you can focus manually
good megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
includes face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Street photography info
Sony A37 Street photography info
61
has image stabilization (Optical)
features touch focus
screen does not articulate
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
77
screen tilts
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
good ISO range (25,600)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic 3D1
Sports photography with Sony A37
30
has image stabilization (Optical)
offers tracking focus
low max shutter speed (1/1,300 seconds)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
not so great battery pack (200 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect AF
61
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has phase detect autofocus
max fps low (6.0 fps)
terrible battery life (500 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Panasonic 3D1
Travel photography with Sony A37
59
features touch focus
built-in flash
reasonably wide (25mm)
no Time Lapse recording
not so great battery pack (200 CIPA)
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
54
good megapixels (16MP)
flash built-in
lack of Time Lapse function
terrible battery life (500 per charge)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic 3D1 Landscape photography details
Sony A37 Landscape photography details
36
reasonably wide (25mm)
lovely big screen (3.5")
has image stabilization (Optical)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
manual mode not available
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
not so great battery pack (200 CIPA)
no Time Lapse recording
64
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
good ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
tiny screen (2.6 inch)
terrible battery life (500 per charge)
lack of Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Panasonic 3D1
Vlogging with Sony A37
34
reasonably wide (25mm)
screen is touchscreen
has image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detect focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
no mic support
35
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detection autofocus
high video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
has external mic jack
display is not selfie friendly
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Panasonic 3D1 vs Sony A37 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic 3D1 and Sony A37
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1Sony SLT-A37
General Information
Brand Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 Sony SLT-A37
Class Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Announced 2011-11-07 2012-05-16
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4000 x 3000 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 6400 25600
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 23 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.9-5.7 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Amount of lenses - 143
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 3.5" 2.6"
Display resolution 460 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology TFT Full Touch Screen with AR coating -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/1300 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed - 6.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.50 m 12.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 193 grams (0.43 lbs) 506 grams (1.12 lbs)
Physical dimensions 108 x 58 x 24mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 0.9") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 75
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.3
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.9
DXO Low light rating not tested 799
Other
Battery life 200 photos 500 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Pricing at release $670 $522