Panasonic GF8 vs Panasonic ZR3

On this page, we are analyzing the Panasonic GF8 and Panasonic ZR3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are created by Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the GF8 (16MP) and the ZR3 (14MP) is very well matched but the GF8 (Four Thirds) and ZR3 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GF8 was manufactured 6 years later than the ZR3 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GF8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick view of how the GF8 grades versus the ZR3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GF8 Gallery and Panasonic ZR3 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic GF8 provides outside measurements of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 266 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZR3 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic GF8 and Panasonic ZR3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the GF8 vs the ZR3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GF8 and ZR3 is 90 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the GF8 and ZR3.

Clearly, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The GF8 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic GF8 will give more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The younger GF8 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.