Panasonic GF2 vs Panasonic ZS30

On this page, we are evaluating the Panasonic GF2 and Panasonic ZS30, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the GF2 (12MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the GF2 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") boast different sensor dimensions.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

The GF2 was unveiled 22 months before the ZS30 making them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the GF2 scores against the ZS30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GF2 Gallery & Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GF2 has got outer measurements of 113mm x 68mm x 33mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 310 grams (0.68 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS30 has proportions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check the Panasonic GF2 and Panasonic ZS30 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the GF2 against the ZS30.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the GF2 and ZS30 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor sizing only by reviewing specs. The graphic underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the GF2 and ZS30.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The GF2 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will offer greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The older GF2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.