Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic LZ40

On this page, we are reviewing the Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic LZ40, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the G3 (16MP) and the LZ40 (20MP) is very comparable but the G3 (Four Thirds) and LZ40 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizing.

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The G3 was revealed 3 years prior to the LZ40 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the G3 scores against the LZ40 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The full galleries are available at Panasonic G3 Gallery & Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic G3 features physical dimensions of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ40 has sizing of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") and a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic LZ40 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the G3 compared to the LZ40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the G3 and LZ40 is 83 and 67 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing technical specs. The graphic here may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the G3 and LZ40.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The G3 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic LZ40 will show greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older G3 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.