Panasonic GH1 vs Sony NEX-6

Following is a extended comparison of the Panasonic GH1 versus Sony NEX-6, both Advanced Mirrorless digital cameras by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the GH1 (12MP) and NEX-6 (16MP) and the GH1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-6 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The GH1 was introduced 4 years earlier than the NEX-6 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the GH1 scores against the NEX-6 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 & Sony Alpha NEX-6. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH1 Gallery & Sony NEX-6 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GH1 has exterior measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") with a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) and the Sony NEX-6 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 345 grams (0.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic GH1 versus Sony NEX-6 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the GH1 compared to the NEX-6.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and NEX-6 is 81 and 85 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes only by reading through a spec sheet. The pic below will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the GH1 and NEX-6.

Clearly, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The GH1 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-6 will resolve more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images much more aggressively. The more aged GH1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.