Panasonic GF3 vs Sony HX50V

Its time to examine more closely at the Panasonic GF3 and Sony HX50V, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and HX50V (20MP) and the GF3 (Four Thirds) and HX50V (1/2.3") come with different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The GF3 was revealed 20 months prior to the HX50V making the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX50V being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the GF3 grades versus the HX50V for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V. The full galleries are available at Panasonic GF3 Gallery and Sony HX50V Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GF3 has outer dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony HX50V has dimensions of 108mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 272 grams (0.60 lbs).

See the Panasonic GF3 and Sony HX50V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the GF3 versus the HX50V.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GF3 and HX50V is 90 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to picture the difference between sensor sizing purely by reviewing technical specs. The graphic here will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF3 and HX50V.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The GF3 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Sony HX50V will offer greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The older GF3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.