Panasonic GF1 vs Panasonic ZS30

Following is a complete review of the Panasonic GF1 and Panasonic ZS30, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are produced by Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the GF1 (12MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the GF1 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GF1 was manufactured 4 years prior to the ZS30 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief overview of how the GF1 scores versus the ZS30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GF1 enjoys outer measurements of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS30 has specifications of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic GF1 and Panasonic ZS30 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the GF1 against the ZS30.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GF1 and ZS30 is 85 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizes just by seeing technical specs. The picture underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the GF1 and ZS30.

As you can tell, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GF1 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS30 will provide extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged GF1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.