Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZS20

Lets examine more in depth at the Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZS20, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the GH3 (16MP) and the ZS20 (14MP) is very close but the GH3 (Four Thirds) and ZS20 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The GH3 was brought out 5 months after the ZS20 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the GH3 grades vs the ZS20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic GH3 Gallery & Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH3 provides exterior dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") having a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS20 has sizing of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZS20 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the GH3 compared to the ZS20.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the GH3 and ZS20 is 66 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to see the difference in sensor dimensions purely by researching specs. The image below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the GH3 and ZS20.

All in all, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GH3 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic GH3 will result in greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively.