Clicky

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230

Portability
81
Imaging
49
Features
57
Overall
52
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 front
Portability
69
Imaging
49
Features
40
Overall
45

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Key Specs

Panasonic GH1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600 (Push to 3200)
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 385g - 124 x 90 x 45mm
  • Introduced July 2009
  • Later Model is Panasonic GH2
Sony A230
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 490g - 128 x 97 x 68mm
  • Launched May 2009
  • Previous Model is Sony A200
  • New Model is Sony A290
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Overview

On this page, we are comparing the Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the GH1 (12MP) and the A230 (10MP) is very comparable but the GH1 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GH1 was revealed 2 months after the A230 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the GH1 matches up versus the A230 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

        

Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Sony A230

 GH1 A230 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Panasonic GH1

 A230 GH1 

Common features in the Panasonic GH1 and Sony A230

 GH1 A230 
LaunchedJuly 2009May 2009Same age
Manually focus More exact focus
Touch display Neither contains Touch display

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to travel with your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GH1 has got external dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) whilst the Sony A230 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the GH1 vs the A230.

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH1 and A230 is 81 and 69 respectively.

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, its tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions just by seeing specifications. The picture here will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH1 and A230.

Plainly, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GH1 having a smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh harder and the Panasonic GH1 will provide extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos more aggressively.

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 sensor size comparison

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Panasonic GH1
Portrait photography with Sony A230
59
focusing manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
low MP (12MP)
53
has manual focus
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
does not have liveview
low MP (10 megapixels)
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Street photography details
Sony A230 Street photography details
72
screen articulates
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
no image stabilization
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
screen is fixed
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic GH1
Sports photography with Sony A230
32
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
max fps low (3.0 fps)
no image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
bad battery pack (320 shots)
doesn't have phase detect AF
45
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
does not have liveview
painfully slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
low MP (10MP)
not so great battery life (230 CIPA)
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Travel Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Travel photography advice
Sony A230 Travel photography advice
58
flash built-in
selfie friendly screen
doesn't have Timelapse recording
bad battery pack (320 CIPA)
low MP (12MP)
45
flash built-in
doesn't have Timelapse mode
not so great battery life (230 per charge)
low MP (10MP)
does not posses selfie friendly display
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Landscape Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Landscape photography details
Sony A230 Landscape photography details
55
focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
no image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
bad battery pack (320 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
51
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
small screen (2.7 inches)
does not have liveview
low MP (10MP)
not so great battery life (230 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GH1 Vlogging advice
Sony A230 Vlogging advice
72
selfie friendly screen
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
has external microphone jack
no image stabilization
9
can't record video
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic GH1 and Sony A230
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
General Information
Brand Panasonic Sony
Model Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
Category Advanced Mirrorless Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2009-07-10 2009-05-18
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip Venus Engine HD Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 18.89 x 14.48mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 273.5mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4000 x 3000 3872 x 2592
Maximum native ISO 1600 3200
Maximum enhanced ISO 3200 -
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Sony/Minolta Alpha
Amount of lenses 107 143
Crop factor 1.9 1.5
Screen
Type of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of display 460k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 3.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 10.50 m 10.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/160s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) -
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video format AVCHD -
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 385 gr (0.85 lbs) 490 gr (1.08 lbs)
Physical dimensions 124 x 90 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 64 63
DXO Color Depth score 21.6 22.3
DXO Dynamic range score 11.6 11.4
DXO Low light score 772 531
Other
Battery life 320 images 230 images
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $949 $569