Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZR1

The following is a thorough overview of the Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZR1, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both sold by Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the GH3 (16MP) and ZR1 (12MP) and the GH3 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The GH3 was announced 3 years after the ZR1 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summation of how the GH3 grades against the ZR1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic GH3 Gallery and Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic GH3 features external dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR1 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZR1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at that moment. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the GH3 vs the ZR1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH3 and ZR1 is 66 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by looking at specifications. The picture below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the GH3 and ZR1.

To sum up, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GH3 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic GH3 will give you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The fresher GH3 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.