Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZS7

In this article, we are contrasting the Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZS7, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the GH3 (16MP) and ZS7 (12MP) and the GH3 (Four Thirds) and ZS7 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The GH3 was introduced 15 months after the ZS7 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a in depth comparison, below is a brief summation of how the GH3 scores against the ZS7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GH3 provides physical dimensions of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") having a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS7 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic ZS7 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the GH3 vs the ZS7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GH3 and ZS7 is 66 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to see the gap in sensor sizes only by viewing technical specs. The picture below will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the GH3 and ZS7.

As you can tell, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The GH3 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic GH3 will render more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos far more aggressively. The more recent GH3 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.