Panasonic GH1 vs Sony RX1

The following is a thorough analysis of the Panasonic GH1 vs Sony RX1, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the GH1 (12MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the GH1 (Four Thirds) and RX1 (Full frame) boast totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GH1 was revealed 4 years prior to the RX1 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple view of how the GH1 grades against the RX1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH1 Gallery and Sony RX1 Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GH1 comes with exterior 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 RX1 has proportions of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") having a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GH1 vs Sony RX1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the GH1 and the RX1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH1 and RX1 is 81 and 79 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to envision the gap in sensor dimensions purely by looking through specs. The pic below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH1 and RX1.

All in all, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The GH1 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony RX1 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged GH1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.