Panasonic GX850 vs Panasonic LX3

Here, we are matching up the Panasonic GX850 and Panasonic LX3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both designed by Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the GX850 (16MP) and LX3 (10MP) and the GX850 (Four Thirds) and LX3 (1/1.63") boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The GX850 was brought out 8 years after the LX3 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GX850 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the GX850 scores vs the LX3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic GX850 Gallery and Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GX850 has got physical measurements of 107mm x 65mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic LX3 has measurements of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GX850 and Panasonic LX3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the GX850 compared to the LX3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the GX850 and LX3 is 90 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to see the difference in sensor sizes only by researching a spec sheet. The picture below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the GX850 and LX3.

Clearly, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The GX850 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic GX850 will result in extra detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher GX850 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.