Panasonic GH1 vs Panasonic LX3

Below, we are analyzing the Panasonic GH1 vs Panasonic LX3, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are created by Panasonic. The image resolution of the GH1 (12MP) and the LX3 (10MP) is very well matched but the GH1 (Four Thirds) and LX3 (1/1.63") use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The GH1 was brought out 9 months after the LX3 which means that they are of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the GH1 matches up vs the LX3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic GH1 Gallery & Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Panasonic GH1 has outside dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX3 has specifications of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Check the Panasonic GH1 vs Panasonic LX3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the GH1 against the LX3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and LX3 is 81 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes purely by checking technical specs. The pic underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH1 and LX3.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The GH1 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic GH1 will give you extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent GH1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.