Panasonic G1 vs Panasonic ZS30

Let's take a more detailed look at the Panasonic G1 versus Panasonic ZS30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the G1 (12MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the G1 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The G1 was introduced 5 years before the ZS30 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic G1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a short summary of how the G1 grades against the ZS30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic G1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic G1 enjoys outer measurements of 124mm x 84mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") with a weight of 360 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS30 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic G1 versus Panasonic ZS30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the G1 vs the ZS30.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the G1 and ZS30 is 82 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the G1 and ZS30.

Clearly, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The G1 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS30 will give you more detail using its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older G1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.