Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3
70 Imaging
51 Features
65 Overall
56


89 Imaging
53 Features
55 Overall
53
Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 160 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 442g - 124 x 90 x 76mm
- Revealed March 2011
- Replaced the Panasonic GH1
- Updated by Panasonic GH3
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Released June 2010
- Later Model is Sony NEX-C3

Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Overview
Here is a detailed review of the Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the GH2 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is relatively similar but the GH2 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

The GH2 was brought out 10 months later than the NEX-3 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the GH2 matches up against the NEX-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic GH2 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH2 over the Sony NEX-3
GH2 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | March 2011 | ![]() | June 2010 | Fresher by 10 months |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Panasonic GH2
NEX-3 | GH2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 920k | ![]() | 460k | Crisper screen (+460k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic GH2 and Sony NEX-3
GH2 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen measurement |
Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
When you are intending to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH2 has outer measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has sizing of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
Look at the Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the GH2 compared to the NEX-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH2 and NEX-3 is 70 and 89 respectively.

Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the GH2 and NEX-3.
As you can see, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GH2 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic GH2 will offer extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher GH2 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic GH2 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2011-03-23 | 2010-06-07 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Venus Engine FHD | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 12800 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 160 | 200 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Total focus points | 23 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Number of lenses | 107 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 460k dot | 920k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display tech | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.71x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 15.60 m | 12.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/160 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (24, 30, 60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 442 grams (0.97 pounds) | 297 grams (0.65 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 124 x 90 x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 60 | 68 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.2 | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.3 | 12.0 |
DXO Low light rating | 655 | 830 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 images | 330 images |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at release | $1,000 | $0 |