• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.1 megapixels
  •  
  • 35mm 855.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • 35.00mm (35mm eq.)

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Differences

Panasonic GF3 advantages over Sony RX1

  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 340 vs 220 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Thinner
    32 mm vs 69 mm
    Thinner
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony RX1 advantages over Panasonic GF3

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 5.97 vs 4.33 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Better color depth
    25.1 vs 20.6 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,534 vs 458 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.3 vs 10.0 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/4000 vs 1/160 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    1229k vs 460k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More pixels
    24.3 vs 12.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Bulb shutter
    Bulb vs No bulb
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    5.1 fps vs 3.5 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 6400 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Rear display
    Both provide
    Review photos on the back of the camera
  • RAW file ability
    Both provide
    Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Manual focus
    Both provide
    AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Neither provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Tiltable Screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • 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
  • Integrated ND filter
    Neither provide
    Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
  • 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

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Small, solid, light body; Good image quality; 14mm kit lens is of good quality and very small; Very fast autofocus; Excellent selection of lenses; Very fun to shoot with.

  • Small controls; Touchscreen interface might not be for everyone; Weak flash; Does not work with most accessories from previous models; JPEG image quality falls short of third-generation competition.

  • Full-frame, 24-megapixel sensor in a compact body; Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2 T* lens; Blazing fast autofocus; Impressive image quality that rivals (and sometimes surpasses) full-frame DSLRs; Customizable function buttons make it a breeze to use.

  • Fixed-length lens limits shooting flexibility; Some exposure bias, color shift, moire and video AF issues; Viewfinders (optical or electronic) only available as optional accessories; Extremely expensive for a compact camera.

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic GF2

Panasonic GF3
Panasonic GF2
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Faster JPEG shooting
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Fast startup
Sony RX1
Panasonic GF2
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Fast startup

Compared to Panasonic GF3X

Panasonic GF3
Panasonic GF3X
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • More telephoto lens reach
Sony RX1
Panasonic GF3X
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Longer stills battery life

Compared to Panasonic GF5

Panasonic GF3
Panasonic GF5
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • Higher effective ISO
Sony RX1
Panasonic GF5
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Sony RX1R

Panasonic GF3
Sony RX1R
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $2598
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony RX1
Sony RX1R
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Has anti-aliasing filter
  • $2598
  • 35mm
  • Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compared to Sony RX1R II

Panasonic GF3
Sony RX1R II
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony RX1
Sony RX1R II
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Tiltable Screen
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