Panasonic GX85 vs Panasonic ZS30

Below is a comprehensive review of the Panasonic GX85 versus Panasonic ZS30, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Panasonic. The image resolution of the GX85 (16MP) and the ZS30 (18MP) is very similar but the GX85 (Four Thirds) and ZS30 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The GX85 was launched 3 years later than the ZS30 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GX85 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summation of how the GX85 matches up against the ZS30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic GX85 Gallery and Panasonic ZS30 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GX85 offers outside dimensions of 122mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS30 has measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic GX85 versus Panasonic ZS30 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the GX85 against the ZS30.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the GX85 and ZS30 is 83 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to picture the gap between sensor measurements only by going over specs. The photograph here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the GX85 and ZS30.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The GX85 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS30 will offer you greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent GX85 provides an edge in sensor technology.