Panasonic GH1 vs Panasonic ZS40

Below, we are contrasting the Panasonic GH1 versus Panasonic ZS40, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the GH1 (12MP) and ZS40 (18MP) and the GH1 (Four Thirds) and ZS40 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GH1 was announced 5 years earlier than the ZS40 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the GH1 grades against the ZS40 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic GH1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera, you should take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic GH1 offers 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) and the Panasonic ZS40 has specifications of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GH1 versus Panasonic ZS40 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the GH1 and the ZS40.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the GH1 and ZS40 is 81 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The graphic here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the GH1 and ZS40.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GH1 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS40 will render more detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The older GH1 will be behind in sensor innovation.