Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9
83 Imaging
51 Features
62 Overall
55


65 Imaging
73 Features
93 Overall
81
Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 160 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 336g - 115 x 84 x 47mm
- Released July 2011
- Previous Model is Panasonic G2
- Later Model is Panasonic G5
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Expand to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 673g - 127 x 96 x 63mm
- Launched April 2017
- Successor is Sony A9 II

Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Overview
Here, we are analyzing the Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the G3 (16MP) and A9 (24MP) and the G3 (Four Thirds) and A9 (Full frame) posses different sensor sizes.

The G3 was unveiled 6 years earlier than the A9 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (SLR-style mirrorless).
Before going right into a full comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the G3 scores vs the A9 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 & Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic G3 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic G3 over the Sony A9
G3 | A9 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A9 over the Panasonic G3
A9 | G3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | April 2017 | ![]() | July 2011 | More recent by 70 months |
Display resolution | 1440k | ![]() | 460k | Clearer display (+980k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic G3 and Sony A9
G3 | A9 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same display dimensions |
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic G3 has physical measurements of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") having a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has sizing of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).
Look at the Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the G3 vs the A9.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the G3 and A9 is 83 and 65 respectively.

Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is very tough to picture the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through specifications. The graphic here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the G3 and A9.
To sum up, both of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The G3 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A9 will render greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The older G3 will be behind in sensor technology.

Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic G3 vs Sony A9 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Sony Alpha A9 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Sony Alpha A9 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless |
Released | 2011-07-11 | 2017-04-19 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Venus Engine FHD | BIONZ X |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.6 x 23.8mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 847.3mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4592 x 3448 | 6000 x 4000 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 51200 |
Maximum boosted ISO | - | 204800 |
Minimum native ISO | 160 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | - | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 693 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Screen resolution | 460k dot | 1,440k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dot | 3,686k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | 0.78x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Highest silent shutter speed | - | 1/32000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames per sec | 20.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 11.00 m | no built-in flash |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/160 secs | - |
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)) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video file format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone 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 | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 336g (0.74 pounds) | 673g (1.48 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 115 x 84 x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") | 127 x 96 x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 56 | 92 |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.0 | 24.9 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.6 | 13.3 |
DXO Low light score | 667 | 3517 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 270 photos | 650 photos |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FZ100 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) |
Storage slots | 1 | Dual |
Launch price | $500 | $4,498 |