Panasonic GH3 vs Sony HX1

Here is a in-depth assessment of the Panasonic GH3 and Sony HX1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the GH3 (16MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the GH3 (Four Thirds) and HX1 (1/2.4") use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The GH3 was brought out 3 years later than the HX1 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a short overview of how the GH3 scores against the HX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GH3 Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic GH3 enjoys physical measurements of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) whilst the Sony HX1 has proportions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GH3 and Sony HX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the GH3 vs the HX1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GH3 and HX1 is 66 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to see the gap in sensor sizing only by viewing specs. The photograph below should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the GH3 and HX1.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GH3 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic GH3 will render greater detail having its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The younger GH3 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.