Panasonic GF3 vs Sony A57

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic GF3 and Sony A57, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the GF3 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The GF3 was revealed 13 months earlier than the A57 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the GF3 scores vs the A57 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 and Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GF3 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GF3 comes with outer dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Panasonic GF3 and Sony A57 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the GF3 against the A57.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the GF3 and A57 is 90 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes only by reading through specs. The picture below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the GF3 and A57.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GF3 having a tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Sony A57 will give extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged GF3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.