Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230
81 Imaging
49 Features
57 Overall
52


69 Imaging
49 Features
40 Overall
45
Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Key Specs
(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
(Full Review)

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.

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.

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GH1 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Sony A230
GH1 | A230 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper 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 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | July 2009 | ![]() | May 2009 | Same 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.
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.

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

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 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A230 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 | Sony 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 |