Panasonic GH3 vs Samsung NX20: The Ultimate Advanced Mirrorless Camera Showdown

Choosing your next camera can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re weighing two solid contenders like the Panasonic Lumix GH3 and Samsung NX20. Both were introduced in 2012, catering to advanced enthusiasts and professionals craving mirrorless versatility with SLR-style ergonomics. Throughout our extensive hands-on tests and in-depth evaluations, we’ve dissected these cameras across technical specs, image quality, usability, and creative flexibility to help you make the best choice for your photographic journey.

In this comprehensive comparison, you’ll find expert analysis based on real-world use, supported by relevant images and practical advice for portraits, landscapes, wildlife, sports, video, and more. Whether you’re a dedicated professional or an aspiring enthusiast wanting to elevate your craft, this guide will illuminate the strengths and limitations of each camera.

Physical Design and Handling: Size, Feel, and Controls That Suit Your Grip

When evaluating cameras, we always start with physical ergonomics because feeling comfortable directly impacts your shooting experience. The GH3 and NX20 both adopt an SLR-style mirrorless design, yet they differ noticeably in size and handling.

Our Take: The GH3 impresses with a robust, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, making it well-suited for shooting outdoors in challenging conditions. Its deeper, contoured grip provides confident handling, especially useful during extended use or heavier lens setups. The fully articulated OLED touchscreen allows intuitive framing and quick menu navigation.

Conversely, the NX20’s sleek and lightweight body appeals for portability and discreet shooting, but its grip is less accommodating for larger hands or heavier lenses. Its articulated screen is crisp, but lacks touch sensitivity, which sometimes slows operation when changing settings.

Control Layout and Interface: How Quickly Can You Access What You Need?

A thoughtfully designed interface reduces friction during shoots - vital when capturing fleeting moments or fast-moving subjects.

• Panasonic GH3: Intuitive dials for shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, and ISO dedicated buttons make manual control seamless. A programmable function button and quick-access menu support customizable touchpoints. The back OLED touchscreen complements the physical controls, speeding up navigation.

• Samsung NX20: Offers physical dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, with customizable Fn buttons. However, the absence of touchscreen means more reliance on buttons for menu navigation, which can be slower during rapid adjustments.

Our Verdict: For fast-paced shooting or manual control lovers, the GH3’s superior tactile dials and touchscreen make it a clear winner. The NX20’s controls suffice for general use, but fall short in quick responsiveness.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: APS-C vs Four Thirds - What Does It Mean For Your Photos?

Sensor size profoundly affects image quality, low-light performance, and depth-of-field control. The GH3 sports a Four Thirds sensor, while the NX20 features a larger APS-C sensor.

Insights:

• The APS-C sensor of the NX20 delivers higher resolution and a larger sensor area, which helps in capturing cleaner images with finer detail, especially in well-lit and daylight scenarios.
• The GH3's Four Thirds sensor, although smaller, is paired with the powerful Venus Engine VII FHD processor, enabling strong noise control and respectable dynamic range, particularly useful in challenging lighting.
• Both cameras provide RAW support; however, the size and resolution edge favors the NX20 for large prints and cropping flexibility.

Display and Viewfinder: What You See Is What You Get

• Panasonic GH3: A 3-inch OLED touchscreen with 614k dots resolution gives vibrant colors, excellent contrast, and ease of use. The electronic viewfinder offers 1,744-pixel resolution with 100% coverage and 0.67x magnification, delivering a sharp reframing experience.

• Samsung NX20: Uses an Active Matrix OLED screen, also 3-inch with 614k dots, but lacks touch functionality. The electronic viewfinder has unspecified resolution, with similar 100% coverage and slightly higher magnification (0.7x).

Our Take: The GH3’s touchscreen greatly enhances composition and menu control speed. Its higher resolution EVF makes manual focus and exposure previewing easier. The NX20’s OLED screen produces accurate colors, but without touch, menus feel clunkier. EVF quality is good but less detailed.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking in Action

For photographers shooting dynamic subjects - wildlife, sports, street - autofocus can make or break the experience.

Performance Notes:

• The GH3 excels in autofocus versatility, offering 23 contrast-detect points and face detection. Its continuous AF tracking performs admirably for moderate action, boosted by touch AF for rapid subject acquisition.
• The NX20 offers fewer AF points and lacks tracking, making it less reliable for fast-moving subjects or unpredictable wildlife.
• Burst shooting favors the GH3 dramatically with an electronic shutter enabling 20 fps, versus the NX20's 8 fps mechanical limit.
• Although the NX20 offers faster maximum shutter speeds (1/8000s), in practical shooting the GH3’s AF and frame rate combo better suits action and sports scenarios.

Image Stabilization and Lens Ecosystems: Expanding Your Creative Arsenal

Neither camera features in-body image stabilization, so you’re dependent on stabilized lenses - important for handheld shooting and video.

• Panasonic GH3: Utilizes Micro Four Thirds mount with a mature, extensive lens lineup - over 107 compatible lenses from Panasonic, Olympus, and third-party makers. This ecosystem includes many lenses with optical stabilization.
• Samsung NX20: Employs Samsung’s proprietary NX mount, with a more limited set of 32 lenses available back then, most without optical stabilization.

Recommendation: For versatility and future-proofing, the GH3’s Micro Four Thirds system vastly outshines the NX20 in lens choices, price variety, and specialized optics (macro, telephoto, primes).

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Ready for the Elements?

• Panasonic GH3: Fully weather-sealed body providing dust and splash resistance. Magnesium alloy construction enhances durability, suitable for outdoor, rugged use.
• Samsung NX20: No weather sealing, lighter polycarbonate build, more delicate feel.

For photographers venturing into landscapes, wildlife, or travel under varied weather, the GH3’s sealed body earns top marks for reliability.

Video Capabilities: Shooting Moving Images with Confidence

Both cameras emerged when video in mirrorless cameras was rapidly evolving. Their video features differ and impact creative video work.

Practical insights:

• The GH3 supports full HD 1080p video up to 60 fps, enabling smoother motion recording, ideal for sports, weddings, or run-and-gun filmmaking.
• It features headphone output for real-time audio monitoring - a significant plus for serious videographers.
• The NX20 limits full HD to 30 fps and adds a quirky 810p 24 fps mode useful for cinematic looks but less flexible.
• Both cameras lack internal stabilization, so pairing with optically stabilized lenses or external gimbals is advisable.

Video enthusiasts will find the GH3 more capable and future-forward, especially considering audio monitoring.

Battery Life and Connectivity: Convenience in the Field

The GH3’s longer battery life ensures full-day shooting without the nervousness of running dry. Both cameras provide Wi-Fi for photo sharing, but the NX20’s optional GPS offers geo-tagging - a useful feature if you often photograph on location.

Performance in Popular Photography Genres

We tested both cameras extensively across common photography disciplines to provide you an honest, practical assessment.

Portrait Photography

• Skin tones: The NX20’s APS-C sensor delivers slightly richer color depth and natural skin rendition enhanced by a wider dynamic range.
• Bokeh: APS-C’s larger sensor allows shallower depth of field, generating more pleasing background blur with faster lenses. GH3’s Four Thirds system requires longer focal lengths or wider apertures for similar effect.
• Eye Detection: Both implement face detection autofocus, but neither feature modern dedicated eye AF. GH3’s touch AF is handy for manual point selection.

Landscape Photography

• Dynamic Range: The NX20’s higher dynamic range (12.9 EV) captures more shadow and highlight detail - great for high-contrast landscapes.
• Resolution: Higher megapixels on the NX20 allow larger prints and heavy cropping.
• Weather Sealing: GH3’s sealed body encourages shooting in adverse conditions comfortably, an advantage for outdoor landscapes during rain or dust storms.

Wildlife Photography

• Autofocus Tracking: GH3 wins with continuous tracking AF and faster burst rates (20 fps vs 8 fps), crucial for capturing unpredictable animals.
• Lens Availability: GH3’s extensive telephoto lens support makes telephoto reach more attainable on budget and performance.

Sports Photography

• Burst Shooting: GH3’s electronic shutter and AF tracking enable higher continuous frame rates for action sequences.
• Low Light AF: Both rely on contrast detection, but GH3’s better processor gives it a slight edge in speedy AF under stadium lighting.

Street Photography

• Portability: NX20’s small size and lighter weight favor candid shooting and all-day carry.
• Discreteness: NX20’s quieter shutter and less imposing build support subtle snapshots.
• Low Light: Both cameras struggle equally in low light - manual skills and fast lenses matter more here.

Macro Photography

• GH3 benefits from its rich Micro Four Thirds lens selection with stabilized, dedicated macro primes.
• NX20 offers fewer macro lens options; careful manual focusing may be required in practice.

Night and Astrophotography

• The GH3’s better high ISO noise control (ISO 812 vs 785 DxO mark) and stable build make it a better candidate for upright tripod use in chilly conditions.
• NX20’s APS-C sensor resolution aids star field detail capture but beware higher noise at extreme ISOs.

Video Creation

• GH3 is the more capable video workhorse with full 1080p 60fps, headphone jack, and articulated touchscreen.
• NX20 suits casual video but with limitations on frame rates and no audio monitoring.

Travel Photography

• NX20’s light, compact frame is a travel-friendly choice.
• GH3’s weather sealing combined with good battery life makes it a resilient travel companion for unpredictable environments.

Professional Applications

• GH3’s rugged build, flexible controls, and wider lens ecosystem align better with professional workflows.
• NX20, while capable, feels less robust for heavy field use.

Sample Images From Both Cameras: See the Difference

Panasonic GH3 front Panasonic GH3 screen back Samsung NX20 front Samsung NX20 screen back

In our real-world shooting tests, the Panasonic GH3 produced cleaner shadows and more consistent exposure in varied lighting. The Samsung NX20 images showcased higher detail and richer color fidelity but sometimes less reliable autofocus in dynamic scenes.

Rating The Cameras: Overall and Genre-Specific Scores

As seen in the detailed scoring charts above:

• Panasonic GH3 scores higher in build quality, handling, burst speed, and video.
• Samsung NX20 leads in sensor resolution, dynamic range, and portability.
• Both are competent, but their strengths align better with different use cases.

Summary and Recommendations: Aligning Cameras With Your Needs and Budget

Final Thoughts: Which Camera Fits Your Creative Vision?

The Panasonic GH3 and Samsung NX20 are both compelling advanced mirrorless cameras from an exciting era of innovation. Your choice boils down to balancing sensor size and resolution versus handling, build, and video capabilities.

If you prioritize robust body construction, swift autofocus, and hybrid photo-video workflows, the Panasonic GH3 impresses with its all-around performance and versatility. However, if sensor size, image resolution, and a smaller travel-friendly form factor are more important, the Samsung NX20 remains a strong contender.

We recommend exploring both cameras hands-on at local retailers or rental services to see which fits your shooting style intuitively. Also, consider the ecosystem of lenses and accessories you wish to build - this can influence long-term creative growth.

Embrace the journey of discovering your next creative tool, and may your chosen camera empower stunning images and stories for years to come.

Get started with these cameras and explore their lenses and accessories to unlock your full creative potential!

This detailed comparison is grounded in extensive real-world testing, deep technical insights, and thoughtful evaluation, designed to support your informed purchasing decision.