Panasonic GH1 vs Sony RX100 II

In this article, we are reviewing the Panasonic GH1 vs Sony RX100 II, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the GH1 (12MP) and RX100 II (20MP) and the GH1 (Four Thirds) and RX100 II (1") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GH1 was launched 5 years earlier than the RX100 II and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise overview of how the GH1 scores against the RX100 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic GH1 Gallery & Sony RX100 II Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GH1 offers 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) while the Sony RX100 II has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GH1 vs Sony RX100 II in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the GH1 and the RX100 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and RX100 II is 81 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing just by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the GH1 and RX100 II.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GH1 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony RX100 II will produce more detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older GH1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.