Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3, 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.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 was introduced in July 2009 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 was introduced in September 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Highlights

      • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 3.0" 460k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Electronic (LVF) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 Highlights

      • 16.05 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 200 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 23 Focus Points (23 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 614k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 1,744k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 20.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3.

      PROS

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      •   Video Capture
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz)
      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low Bit Depth
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,744k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 64
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.05 Megapixel
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 71
      •   Weight - 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz)

      Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
      Lower Native ISO 100 vs 200
      Lighter 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz) vs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1.

      Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
      Higher Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel vs 16.05 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 1,600 vs 12,800
      Max Image Resolution 4000 x 3000 vs 4608 x 3456
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 460k dot vs 614k dot
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps vs 20.0 fps
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 772 vs 812
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.6 vs 22.7
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.6 vs 12.4
      Higher DxO Overall Score 64 vs 71
      Speaker vs Mono
      Headphone Output vs
      Built-In Wi-Fi vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Longer Battery Life 320 shots vs 540 shots
      Orientation Sensor vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
        Video Capture
        Live View Autofocus
        Screen TypeFully ArticulatedFully Articulated
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Type C
      WEAKNESSES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        No Image Stabilization
        Low Resolution Screen460k dot614k dot
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        Short Battery Life320 shots540 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 have 3.0" Fully Articulated screens with 460k dot and 614k dot resolutions respectively. Fully articulated screen makes cameras selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3) 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.

      Image cannot be displayed Image cannot be displayed

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 has a built-in Electronic (LVF) viewfinderPanasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,744k dot resolution. They both have 100% coverage.

      Sensor

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 features a 12 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 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 - 12,800.


      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
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is equipped with Venus Engine HD processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 3000, 4128 x 2752, 4352 x 2448, 3072 x 1728, 2992 x 2992, 2928 x 1952, 2816 x 2112, 2112 x 2112, 2064 x 1376, 2048 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 1504 x 1504 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 is equipped with Venus Engine VII FHD processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4608x3072, 3264x2448, 2336x1752, 4608x3072, 3264x2176, 2336x1560, 4608x2592, 3264x1840, 1920x1080, 3456x3456, 2448x2448, 1744x1744, 1712x1712 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 nothing can be done. On Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 has a 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.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 has an HDMI and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      External Storage Slots

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 has a single SD/SDHC card slot. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1, and up to 1/4000 sec on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 ranges from 0 to +18 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and ±5 EV range on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. You can also do and manual exposure adjustment on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 10.50 m on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and 12.00 m on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 body has dimensions of 124 x 90 x 45 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 1.77") and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 body has dimensions of 133 x 93 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.66 x 3.23"). Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 weighs 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz).

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      124 mm

      90 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      133 mm

      93 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      90 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      93 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      45 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      82 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      AVERAGE
      56
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      GOOD
      73
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,744k dot
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      GOOD
      70
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,744k dot
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      GOOD
      70
      •   Small Sensor
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      GOOD
      84
      •   Small Sensor
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      GOOD
      82
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and give them scores of 63 and 70 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      OVERALL
      63
      OVERALL
      70

      Sensor

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 64
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.05 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 71

      Photo

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   Low Bit Depth
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   High Max Continuous Shooting - 20.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Video

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      75
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      GOOD
      81
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 614k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,744k dot

      Connectivity

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      EXCELLENT
      89
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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