Panasonic GF3 vs Sony QX100

Below, we will be analyzing the Panasonic GF3 and Sony QX100, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Lens-style by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and QX100 (20MP) and the GF3 (Four Thirds) and QX100 (1") feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The GF3 was manufactured 3 years prior to the QX100 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony QX100 being a Lens-style camera.

Before going through a complete comparison, below is a quick summation of how the GF3 scores vs the QX100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GF3 Gallery and Sony QX100 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GF3 has exterior measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony QX100 has specifications of 63mm x 63mm x 56mm (2.5" x 2.5" x 2.2") along with a weight of 179 grams (0.39 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GF3 and Sony QX100 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the GF3 and the QX100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the GF3 and QX100 is 90 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes only by looking through specs. The picture below might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the GF3 and QX100.

All in all, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GF3 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony QX100 will result in greater detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged GF3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.