Panasonic GH3 vs Sony W550

Lets examine more in depth at the Panasonic GH3 vs Sony W550, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the GH3 (16MP) and the W550 (14MP) is fairly close but the GH3 (Four Thirds) and W550 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizes.

YouTube trialing AI that fast-forwards to the best video segments

The GH3 was revealed 15 months after the W550 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summary of how the GH3 scores against the W550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic GH3 Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GH3 has got outer 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 W550 has dimensions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic GH3 vs Sony W550 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the GH3 vs the W550.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the GH3 and W550 is 66 and 96 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing specifications. The image here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the GH3 and W550.

To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GH3 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic GH3 will render greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The more recent GH3 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.