Panasonic GH4 vs Panasonic ZS45

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic GH4 and Panasonic ZS45, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Panasonic. The resolution of the GH4 (16MP) and the ZS45 (16MP) is relatively comparable but the GH4 (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The GH4 was manufactured 11 months prior to the ZS45 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GH4 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the GH4 grades vs the ZS45 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic GH4 Gallery & Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic GH4 has got outside measurements of 133mm x 93mm x 84mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.3") and a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS45 has specifications of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic GH4 and Panasonic ZS45 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the GH4 versus the ZS45.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the GH4 and ZS45 is 66 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the GH4 and ZS45.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses the exact same megapixel count albeit not the same sensor measurements. The GH4 contains the bigger sensor which will make getting shallower DOF less difficult. The older GH4 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.