Panasonic G3 vs Pentax W80

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Panasonic G3 and Pentax W80, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the G3 (16MP) and W80 (12MP) and the G3 (Four Thirds) and W80 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizes.

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The G3 was brought out 2 years later than the W80 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple view of how the G3 matches up vs the W80 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 & Pentax Optio W80. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic G3 Gallery & Pentax W80 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic G3 has outer dimensions 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 Pentax W80 has sizing of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic G3 and Pentax W80 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the G3 against the W80.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the G3 and W80 is 83 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements only by going over specs. The graphic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the G3 and W80.

All in all, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The G3 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic G3 will deliver extra detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more recent G3 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.