Canon EOS M3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS M3 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Canon EOS M3 was introduced in February 2015 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 was introduced in February 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS M3 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 over Canon EOS M3.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Canon EOS M3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 have 3.0" screens with 1,040k dot and 1,036k dot resolutions respectively. Canon EOS M3 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,359k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.34x (0.67x 35mm equivalent) magnification.Canon EOS M3 does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

Canon EOS M3 features a 24.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 332.3 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 features a 16.05 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm². Its native ISO range is 200 - 25,600.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Canon EOS M3 is equipped with DIGIC 6 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 is equipped with Venus Engine IX processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4608 x 3072, 4608 x 2592, 3456 x 3456, 3264 x 2448, 3264 x 2176, 2448 x 2448, 2336 x 1752, 2356 x 1560, 1920 x 1080, 1744 x 1744, 1824 x 1368, 1824 x 1216, 1824 x 1024, 1712 x 1712 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Canon EOS M3 has Canon EF-M lens mount and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Canon EOS M3 its crop factor is equal to 1.6x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS M3 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 nothing can be done. On Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS M3 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Canon EOS M3

Canon EOS M3 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS M3 has a Mini HDMI and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS M3 comes with LP-E17 battery pack with battery life of 250 shots and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 comes with DMW-BLF19 battery pack with battery life of 500 shots.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

Shutter

Canon EOS M3 has Electronic 1st curtain shutter. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has Mechanical Focal Plane shutter and Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS M3, and up to 1/8000 sec on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. Canon EOS M3 can shoot continuously up to 4.2 fps. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 can shoot continuously up to 12.0 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS M3 has Hybrid CMOS AF III system with 49 focusing points and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has 49 focusing points. Canon EOS M3 has detection range from +2 to +18 EV and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 has detection range from -4 to +18 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 ranges from 0 to +18 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Canon EOS M3 and ±5 EV range on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS M3 and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS M3 and 17.00 m at ISO 200 on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4.

Canon EOS M3 body has dimensions of 111 x 68 x 44 mm (4.37 x 2.68 x 1.73") and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 body has dimensions of 133 x 93 x 84 mm (5.24 x 3.66 x 3.31"). Canon EOS M3 weighs 366 g (0.81 lb / 12.91 oz) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 weighs 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz).

Canon EOS M3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

111 mm

68 mm

133 mm

93 mm

68 mm

93 mm

44 mm

84 mm