Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230
66 Imaging
51 Features
80 Overall
62
69 Imaging
49 Features
40 Overall
45
Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 550g - 133 x 93 x 82mm
- Revealed September 2012
- Replaced the Panasonic GH2
- Newer Model is Panasonic GH4
(Full Review)
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Overview
Following is a thorough analysis of the Panasonic GH3 versus Sony A230, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the GH3 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the GH3 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizes.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe GH3 was revealed 3 years after the A230 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a short view of how the GH3 grades versus the A230 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH3 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH3 over the Sony A230
| GH3 | A230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2012 | May 2009 | More modern by 41 months | |
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Display sizing | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
| Display resolution | 614k | 230k | Crisper display (+384k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Easy selfies | |||
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Panasonic GH3
| A230 | GH3 |
|---|
Common features in the Panasonic GH3 and Sony A230
| GH3 | A230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Very precise focus |
Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to carry around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic GH3 has 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 Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).
Compare the Panasonic GH3 versus Sony A230 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the GH3 and the A230.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH3 and A230 is 66 and 69 respectively.
Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it is tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The image below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the GH3 and A230.
As you can tell, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The GH3 having a smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic GH3 will provide greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The younger GH3 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.
Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesStreet Comparison
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banSports Comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesTravel Comparison
Photography GlossaryLandscape Comparison
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoVlogging Comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month
Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A230 Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Panasonic | Sony |
| Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 |
| Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Revealed | 2012-09-17 | 2009-05-18 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Venus Engine VII FHD | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3872 x 2592 |
| Highest native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Total focus points | 23 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Total lenses | 107 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 614k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Screen technology | OLED Monitor with static touch control | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 1,744k dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.67x | 0.55x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 20.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m | 10.00 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/160 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25 24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25fps | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 | - |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 550 grams (1.21 lb) | 490 grams (1.08 lb) |
| Dimensions | 133 x 93 x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") | 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 71 | 63 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 22.7 | 22.3 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.4 | 11.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | 812 | 531 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 540 shots | 230 shots |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Pricing at release | $799 | $569 |