• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.0 megapixels
  •  
  • APS-C 357.3mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 6400

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Differences

Panasonic G3 advantages over Nikon D3200

  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Thinner
    46 mm vs 76 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    583g vs 773g
    Lighter weight
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.70x vs 0.53x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Nikon D3200 advantages over Panasonic G3

  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Fast startup
    ~0.40 vs 1.4 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Better color depth
    24.1 vs 21.0 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,131 vs 667 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.2 vs 10.6 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 540 vs 270 shots
    Capture more photos
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    922k vs 460k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 16.0 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    4.0 fps vs 3.4 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    100 vs 7 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    12800 vs 6400 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Focus peaking
    Neither provide
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

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Review Excerpt

  • High resolution allows cropping; Good performance in low light; Compact and comfortable, highly portable; Fast and responsive, just begs to take pictures; Quiet shutter is great for candids.

  • Mediocre kit lens; Might be too small for some; No bracketing; Narrow flash coverage; Matrix metering tends to overexpose.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Panasonic G3
Olympus E-M5
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Internal flash
  • More viewfinder magnification
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Higher effective ISO
Nikon D3200
Olympus E-M5
  • $477
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Larger sensor
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Nikon D5200

Panasonic G3
Nikon D5200
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Thinner
  • $590
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Larger sensor
Nikon D3200
Nikon D5200
  • $477
  • APS-C
  • Bigger RAW buffer
  • $590
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Higher effective ISO

Compared to Sony A58

Panasonic G3
Sony A58
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
Nikon D3200
Sony A58
  • $477
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $598
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Panasonic G3
Panasonic GX7
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • $648
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Nikon D3200
Panasonic GX7
  • $477
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Fast startup
  • $648
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Olympus E-M10

Panasonic G3
Olympus E-M10
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • More viewfinder magnification
  • Shoots 60p video
  • $399
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Nikon D3200
Olympus E-M10
  • $477
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Fast startup
  • $399
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
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