Panasonic ZR3 vs Ricoh GR Digital III

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic ZR3 and Ricoh GR Digital III, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by companies Panasonic and Ricoh. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the ZR3 (14MP) and GR Digital III (10MP) and the ZR3 (1/2.3") and GR Digital III (1/1.7") boast different sensor sizes.

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The ZR3 was announced 7 months later than the GR Digital III which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise overview of how the ZR3 scores vs the GR Digital III with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 and Ricoh GR Digital III. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZR3 Gallery and Ricoh GR Digital III Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZR3 has got exterior dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Ricoh GR Digital III has measurements of 109mm x 59mm x 26mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZR3 and Ricoh GR Digital III in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the ZR3 and the GR Digital III.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZR3 and GR Digital III is 94 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZR3 and GR Digital III.

As you can see, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZR3 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZR3 will give more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The younger ZR3 provides a benefit in sensor tech.