Panasonic GH1 vs Sony A55

Let's take a closer look at the Panasonic GH1 versus Sony A55, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the GH1 (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the GH1 (Four Thirds) and A55 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

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The GH1 was launched 13 months prior to the A55 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the GH1 matches up against the A55 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Sony SLT-A55. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH1 Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GH1 provides external measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs) and the Sony A55 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GH1 versus Sony A55 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the GH1 against the A55.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH1 and A55 is 81 and 67 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to visualize the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specifications. The photograph below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the GH1 and A55.

To sum up, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The GH1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A55 will provide more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics way more aggressively. The older GH1 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.