Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS3

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic G3 and Panasonic ZS3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both sold by Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the G3 (16MP) and ZS3 (10MP) and the G3 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The G3 was unveiled 2 years later than the ZS3 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the G3 scores against the ZS3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic G3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera often, you have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic G3 comes with outer measurements of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") with a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS3 has specifications of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check the Panasonic G3 and Panasonic ZS3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the G3 versus the ZS3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the G3 and ZS3 is 83 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to picture the difference between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the G3 and ZS3.

As you can see, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The G3 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic G3 will offer greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images way more aggressively. The younger G3 should have an advantage in sensor technology.