Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20
85 Imaging
46 Features
47 Overall
46


87 Imaging
33 Features
29 Overall
31
Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 385g - 119 x 71 x 36mm
- Revealed October 2009
- New Model is Panasonic GF2
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 38-380mm (F3.5-4.4) lens
- 250g - 107 x 69 x 47mm
- Released May 2009

Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Overview
In this write-up, we will be comparing the Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the GF1 (12MP) and the H20 (10MP) is pretty well matched but the GF1 (Four Thirds) and H20 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

The GF1 was announced 6 months after the H20 and they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H20 being a Compact camera.
Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the GF1 scores vs the H20 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic GF1 Gallery and Sony H20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GF1 over the Sony H20
GF1 | H20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony H20 over the Panasonic GF1
H20 | GF1 |
---|
Common features in the Panasonic GF1 and Sony H20
GF1 | H20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | October 2009 | ![]() | May 2009 | Similar generation |
Manually focus | ![]() | Very accurate focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither features Touch screen |
Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GF1 enjoys exterior dimensions of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) while the Sony H20 has measurements of 107mm x 69mm x 47mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.9") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).
Contrast the Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the GF1 against the H20.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF1 and H20 is 85 and 87 respectively.

Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be hard to see the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through technical specs. The pic below will offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF1 and H20.
As you can tell, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GF1 with its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh easier and the Panasonic GF1 will resolve more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively.

Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GF1 vs Sony H20 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Revealed | 2009-10-14 | 2009-05-14 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Venus Engine HD | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 3648 x 2736 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 38-380mm (10.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/3.5-4.4 |
Macro focus distance | - | 2cm |
Available lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 460k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Screen tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0fps | 2.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 6.00 m | 7.10 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Front Curtain, Rear Curtain |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/160 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
Video format | AVCHD Lite | - |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 385 gr (0.85 lb) | 250 gr (0.55 lb) |
Dimensions | 119 x 71 x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") | 107 x 69 x 47mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 54 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.2 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 513 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 380 photos | - |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | - | NP-BG1 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/MMC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Launch price | $400 | $249 |