Clicky

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30

Portability
83
Imaging
51
Features
62
Overall
55
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 front
Portability
92
Imaging
42
Features
48
Overall
44

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Key Specs

Panasonic G3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 336g - 115 x 84 x 47mm
  • Introduced July 2011
  • Superseded the Panasonic G2
  • Newer Model is Panasonic G5
Panasonic ZS30
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
  • 198g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
  • Revealed January 2013
  • Other Name is Lumix DMC-TZ40
  • Succeeded the Panasonic ZS25
  • Successor is Panasonic ZS35
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Overview

Here is a extensive review of the Panasonic G3 and Panasonic ZS30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Panasonic. The resolution of the G3 (16MP) and the ZS30 (18MP) is pretty similar but the G3 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") use different sensor measurements.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The G3 was revealed 18 months before the ZS30 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise view of how the G3 grades vs the ZS30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic G3 over the Panasonic ZS30

 G3 ZS30 
Manually focus Dial precise focus
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS30 over the Panasonic G3

 ZS30 G3 
RevealedJanuary 2013July 2011Fresher by 18 months
Screen resolution920k460kSharper screen (+460k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic G3 and Panasonic ZS30

 G3 ZS30 
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen measurements
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic G3 features exterior measurements of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS30 has sizing of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Panasonic G3 and Panasonic ZS30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the G3 vs the ZS30.

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the G3 and ZS30 is 83 and 92 respectively.

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading technical specs. The photograph here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the G3 and ZS30.

As you can tell, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The G3 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will offer you extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older G3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 sensor size comparison

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic G3 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic ZS30 as a Portrait photography camera
70
has manual focus
good MP (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
33
good MP (18MP)
manual focus not available
cannot use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Street Comparison

Panasonic G3 Street photography factors
Panasonic ZS30 Street photography factors
75
fully articulated screen
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
provides focus via touch
lack of image stabilization
66
image stabilization (Optical)
comes with touch to focus
lighter than competition in class (198 grams)
screen is fixed
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Panasonic G3 Sports photography highlights
Panasonic ZS30 Sports photography highlights
46
good MP (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
slow fps (4.0 frames per second)
lack of image stabilization
terrible battery (270 shots)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
46
incredible zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (18MP)
features tracking focus
low max shutter speed (1/1,200 seconds)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
low battery pack (260 per charge)
doesn't have phase detect AF
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Travel Comparison

Panasonic G3 Travel photography features
Panasonic ZS30 Travel photography features
70
provides focus via touch
good MP (16MP)
has built in flash
screen is selfie friendly
no Time Lapse function
terrible battery (270 CIPA)
69
lighter than competition in class (198g)
comes with touch to focus
good MP (18 megapixels)
built-in flash
quite wide (24mm)
very long reach (480mm)
lack of Time Lapse function
low battery pack (260 shots)
does not contain selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Panasonic G3 Landscape photography information
Panasonic ZS30 Landscape photography information
62
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
good MP (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
terrible battery (270 per charge)
no Time Lapse function
44
quite wide (24mm)
screen is a good size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (18MP)
manual focus not available
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
low battery pack (260 shots)
lack of Time Lapse function
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic G3 Vlogging factors
Panasonic ZS30 Vlogging factors
70
screen is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
comes with face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lack of image stabilization
no external mic socket
35
quite wide (24mm)
touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition in class (198g)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
does not contain selfie friendly display
lack of mic jack
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Panasonic G3 vs Panasonic ZS30 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic G3 and Panasonic ZS30
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
General Information
Make Panasonic Panasonic
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
Also called - Lumix DMC-TZ40
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2011-07-11 2013-01-07
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Venus Engine FHD -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 18 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4592 x 3448 4896 x 3672
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Minimum native ISO 160 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 23 23
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-480mm (20.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.3-6.4
Macro focusing distance - 3cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3" 3"
Display resolution 460k dot 920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 1,440k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.7x -
Features
Min shutter speed 60 seconds 15 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/1200 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 4.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 11.00 m 6.40 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/160 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps)) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 336 gr (0.74 lbs) 198 gr (0.44 lbs)
Dimensions 115 x 84 x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 21.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.6 not tested
DXO Low light rating 667 not tested
Other
Battery life 270 images 260 images
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Retail price $500 $250