Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100 III

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Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100 III

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4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Panasonic GH3 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the GH3.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 70.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX100 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX100 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX100 III.
Compare Sony RX100 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX100 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Panasonic GH4
Compare GH3 vs GH4

Succeeded by the Sony RX100 IV
Compare RX100 III vs RX100 IV

Compare PANASONIC GH4 vs SONY RX100 IV

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Differences

Panasonic GH3 advantages over Sony RX100 III

Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Larger sensor
4/3 vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 3.75 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
GH3 test data on DxO Mark RX100 III test data on DxO Mark

812 vs 495 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

540 vs 320 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
More viewfinder magnification
0.67x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 48 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony RX100 III advantages over Panasonic GH3

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Thinner
41 mm vs 82 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lighter weight
287g vs 555g
Lighter weight
Higher-res screen
307k vs 205k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.15 vs 0.21 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More pixels
20.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Faster JPEG shooting
10.0 fps vs 6.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.7 fps vs 5.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

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

User reviews

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Read GH3 User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Professional quality video in a compact body; Still image quality ranks with the best mirrorless models and even some prosumer DSLRs; Fast autofocus; Rugged, weatherized camera build; Reasonably priced for its advanced feature set; Large selection of high quality lenses.
Not as compact as most mirrorless cameras; Live View not available during high speed bursts; High ISO image quality and dynamic range not quite as good as top APS-C cameras.
Read our Panasonic GH3 Review

Pocket-friendly design; Popup electronic viewfinder; Bright lens across the zoom range; Great performance with very fast autofocus; Very high resolution gives lots of detail in good light; High ISO noise levels much better than most pocket camera rivals; Wi-Fi wireless networking
Feels a little unbalanced without an accessory grip; Not as much telephoto reach as its siblings; Noise processing is heavier-handed than in earlier models; Quite pricey for a fixed-lens camera
Read our Sony RX100 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony RX100

Panasonic GH3

Sony RX100

$798
4/3

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$1095
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Tiltable Screen

$1095
1 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Faster RAW shooting

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100

Compared to Sony RX100 II

Panasonic GH3

Sony RX100 II

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$598
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100 II

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
Fast startup

$598
1 inch

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Sony RX100 II

Compared to Canon G7X

Panasonic GH3

Canon G7X

$798
4/3

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$1239
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Canon G7X

Sony RX100 III

Canon G7X

$748
1 inch

Eye-level viewfinder
In-camera panoramas

$1239
1 inch

Touchscreen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Canon G7X

Compared to Panasonic LX100

Panasonic GH3

Panasonic LX100

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$598
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic LX100

Sony RX100 III

Panasonic LX100

$748
1 inch

Tiltable Screen
Internal flash

$598
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Panasonic LX100

Compared to Panasonic G5

Panasonic GH3

Panasonic G5

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Fast startup

$500
4/3

Higher-res screen

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic G5

Sony RX100 III

Panasonic G5

$748
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$500
4/3

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Sony RX100 III vs Panasonic G5

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