Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic GH1

Below, we are evaluating the Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic GH1, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless and both of them are designed by Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the FZ80 (18MP) and GH1 (12MP) and the FZ80 (1/2.3") and GH1 (Four Thirds) use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The FZ80 was announced 7 years after the GH1 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the FZ80 grades vs the GH1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Panasonic GH1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ80 has outer dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") accompanied by a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) and the Panasonic GH1 has sizing of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

See the Panasonic FZ80 vs Panasonic GH1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the FZ80 compared to the GH1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FZ80 and GH1 is 63 and 81 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading technical specs. The picture underneath may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ80 and GH1.

As you have seen, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The FZ80 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic FZ80 will offer extra detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent FZ80 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.