Panasonic GH3 vs Pentax MX-1

The following is a extensive review of the Panasonic GH3 versus Pentax MX-1, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the GH3 (16MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the GH3 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") have different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The GH3 was announced 9 months prior to the MX-1 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the GH3 matches up versus the MX-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 & Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH3 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH3 comes with 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) whilst the Pentax MX-1 has sizing of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") having a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

See the Panasonic GH3 versus Pentax MX-1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the GH3 against the MX-1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GH3 and MX-1 is 66 and 84 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions simply by checking out specifications. The picture below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the GH3 and MX-1.

Plainly, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The GH3 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic GH3 will provide more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged GH3 will be behind in sensor technology.