Panasonic GM1 vs Panasonic ZR1

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic GM1 and Panasonic ZR1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both built by Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the GM1 (16MP) and ZR1 (12MP) and the GM1 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GM1 was unveiled 4 years later than the ZR1 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the GM1 matches up vs the ZR1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic GM1 Gallery and Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GM1 comes with outside dimensions of 99mm x 55mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.2") having a weight of 204 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Panasonic ZR1 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic GM1 and Panasonic ZR1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the GM1 and the ZR1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the GM1 and ZR1 is 93 and 94 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading technical specs. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the GM1 and ZR1.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The GM1 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic GM1 will offer you more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots much more aggressively. The younger GM1 should have a benefit in sensor technology.