Panasonic GF3 vs Panasonic L1

Lets look closer at the Panasonic GF3 and Panasonic L1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR and both are designed by Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the image resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and L1 (7MP) but they use the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The GF3 was unveiled 4 years after the L1 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the GF3 scores versus the L1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GF3 Gallery and Panasonic L1 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GF3 has physical dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic L1 has proportions of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GF3 and Panasonic L1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the GF3 against the L1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF3 and L1 is 90 and 65 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to see the gap in sensor sizes simply by going through technical specs. The pic below will offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF3 and L1.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Panasonic GF3 to produce more detail having an extra 5MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The newer GF3 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.