Panasonic GH1 vs Sony H20

Here, we will be comparing the Panasonic GH1 and Sony H20, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the GH1 (12MP) and the H20 (10MP) is pretty well matched but the GH1 (Four Thirds) and H20 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GH1 was brought out 2 months after the H20 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the GH1 scores against the H20 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH1 Gallery and Sony H20 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH1 provides outside dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) and the Sony H20 has sizing of 107mm x 69mm x 47mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.9") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic GH1 and Sony H20 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the GH1 vs the H20.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the GH1 and H20 is 81 and 87 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions just by checking technical specs. The picture here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the GH1 and H20.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The GH1 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic GH1 will resolve more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs way more aggressively.