Clicky

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30

Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
54
Overall
50
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 front
Portability
92
Imaging
42
Features
48
Overall
44

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Key Specs

Panasonic GF5
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 267g - 108 x 67 x 37mm
  • Released April 2012
  • Succeeded the Panasonic GF3
  • Successor is Panasonic GF6
Panasonic ZS30
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
  • 198g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
  • Announced January 2013
  • Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ40
  • Superseded the Panasonic ZS25
  • Newer Model is Panasonic ZS35
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Overview

On this page, we are looking at the Panasonic GF5 versus Panasonic ZS30, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are built by Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the GF5 (12MP) and ZS30 (18MP) and the GF5 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The GF5 was introduced 9 months prior to the ZS30 so they are of a similar age. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summation of how the GF5 grades against the ZS30 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Panasonic GF5 over the Panasonic ZS30

 GF5 ZS30 
Manual focus Dial exact focus

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS30 over the Panasonic GF5

 ZS30 GF5 
AnnouncedJanuary 2013April 2012More modern by 9 months

Common features in the Panasonic GF5 and Panasonic ZS30

 GF5 ZS30 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement
Display resolution920k920kSame display resolution
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GF5 comes with outer dimensions of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS30 has specifications of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic GF5 versus Panasonic ZS30 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the GF5 and the ZS30.

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the GF5 and ZS30 is 89 and 92 respectively.

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it's tough to picture the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading specs. The image below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the GF5 and ZS30.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GF5 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will offer more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged GF5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 sensor size comparison

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic GF5 as a Portrait photography camera
Panasonic ZS30 as a Portrait photography camera
55
has manual focus
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
includes face detection autofocus
supports RAW formats
cannot use external flash
low resolution sensor (12MP)
33
good MP (18MP)
no manual focus
external flash not possible
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Street photography features
Panasonic ZS30 Street photography features
70
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
comes with focus via touch
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
66
has image stabilization (Optical)
features focus by touch
lighter than competition (198 grams)
screen does not articulate
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Sports Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Sports photography info
Panasonic ZS30 Sports photography info
40
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
includes tracking autofocus
very slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12MP)
does not have phase detect autofocus
46
excellent zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (18 megapixels)
comes with tracking focus
low maximum shutter speed (1/1,200 seconds)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
low battery pack (260 shots)
lack of phase detect AF
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Travel Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Travel photography info
Panasonic ZS30 Travel photography info
61
comes with focus via touch
has built in flash
lack of Timelapse mode
low resolution sensor (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
69
lighter than competition (198g)
features focus by touch
good MP (18MP)
flash built-in
quite wide (24mm)
long reach (480mm)
missing Timelapse recording
low battery pack (260 shots)
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.3)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Landscape Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Landscape photography info
Panasonic ZS30 Landscape photography info
59
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
lack of Timelapse mode
44
quite wide (24mm)
good sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (18MP)
no manual focus
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.3)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
low battery pack (260 CIPA)
missing Timelapse recording
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GF5 Vlogging details
Panasonic ZS30 Vlogging details
32
touchscreen capability
includes face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
lack of external microphone jack
35
quite wide (24mm)
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Optical)
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competition (198 grams)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.3)
display is not selfie friendly
missing microphone support
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Panasonic GF5 vs Panasonic ZS30 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic GF5 and Panasonic ZS30
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
General Information
Brand Name Panasonic Panasonic
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30
Otherwise known as - Lumix DMC-TZ40
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2012-04-05 2013-01-07
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Venus Engine FHD -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 18 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 4896 x 3672
Highest native ISO 12800 6400
Minimum native ISO 160 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 23 23
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-480mm (20.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.3-6.4
Macro focusing range - 3cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 920 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display tech TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 15s
Max shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1200s
Continuous shutter rate 4.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 6.30 m 6.40 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60, 50 fps), 1280 x 720p (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 267 grams (0.59 lbs) 198 grams (0.44 lbs)
Physical dimensions 108 x 67 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 50 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 20.5 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.0 not tested
DXO Low light rating 573 not tested
Other
Battery life 360 photographs 260 photographs
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots One One
Retail pricing $600 $250