Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic SZ5

Here is a in-depth analysis of the Panasonic GH3 versus Panasonic SZ5, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Panasonic. The image resolution of the GH3 (16MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is very similar but the GH3 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The GH3 was unveiled 3 months later than the SZ5 so they are both of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the GH3 grades vs the SZ5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GH3 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GH3 comes with external measurements of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has proportions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Check the Panasonic GH3 versus Panasonic SZ5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the GH3 vs the SZ5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH3 and SZ5 is 66 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to envision the gap between sensor sizing just by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the GH3 and SZ5.

As you can see, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GH3 with its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic GH3 will deliver more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively.