Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic GF3

Here is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic GF3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are manufactured by Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the FZ80 (18MP) and GF3 (12MP) and the FZ80 (1/2.3") and GF3 (Four Thirds) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FZ80 was manufactured 5 years later than the GF3 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short summary of how the FZ80 matches up versus the GF3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Panasonic GF3 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FZ80 has got outside measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GF3 has measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic GF3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the FZ80 against the GF3.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the FZ80 and GF3 is 63 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the difference between sensor sizing simply by looking at specs. The photograph underneath will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the FZ80 and GF3.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The FZ80 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic FZ80 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The more recent FZ80 provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.