Canon 400D vs Panasonic GF1 Comparison

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Canon 400D

10 MP | APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic GF1

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Canon 400D vs Panasonic GF1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon 400D, which was introduced in October 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Panasonic GF1, which was introduced in October 2009 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, 400D is 3 years older than GF1. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 400D Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-10-14

10MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Canon EF/EF-S Mount

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

556g. 127 x 94 x 65 mm

Also known as EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X

Replaced Canon EOS 350D Compare

Panasonic GF1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-10-14

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 3200

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

3 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

385g. 119 x 71 x 36 mm

Canon 400D was replaced by Canon EOS 450D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 450D vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)
Canon EOS 450D vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Panasonic GF1 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 400D over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 6.0m	6m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 21.2	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	11.0 vs 10.3	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	664 vs 513	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	32.60µm² vs 18.74µm²	73% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 over Canon EOS 400D

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	3.200 vs 1.600	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 9	14 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Weight	385 g vs 556 g	171 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 400D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 400D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GF1: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon 400D has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 65 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.56″) and weighs 556 g (1.23 lb / 19.61 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic GF1 has external dimensions of 119 x 71 x 36 mm (4.69 x 2.8 x 1.43″) and weighs 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1. Panasonic GF1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 8mm narrower, 23mm shorter and 29mm thinner than Canon 400D.

Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1.

Top View Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GF1 is significantly lighter (171g ) than the Canon 400D which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Canon 400D has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic GF1 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GF1's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 400D lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

GF1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

GF1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X) nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic GF1's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 400D's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GF1: Sensor Comparison

Canon 400D has a 10.0MP APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic GF1 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine HD processor.

Below you can see the 400D and GF1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 Cameras

As seen above, Canon 400D has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GF1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 400D has scored 62, 8 points higher than GF1.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon 400D	62	22.1 bits	11.0 Evs	664 ISO
Panasonic GF1	54	21.2 bits	10.3 Evs	513 ISO

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GF1 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 400D has an advantage over Panasonic GF1. There are 326 lenses for Canon 400D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic GF1's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 112 lenses for Canon EF/EF-S mount and 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type	# of Canon 400D Lenses	# of Panasonic GF1 Lenses
Standard Zoom	40	15
Standard Prime	19	13
Wideangle Zoom	37	5
Wideangle Prime	49	29
Telephoto Zoom	58	18
Telephoto Prime	43	9
SuperZoom	28	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	7	5
Macro Prime	28	4
Perspective Control Prime	16	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	326	107

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM	25.5 - 82.5mm	645gr	1201gr	111mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS	24 - 70mm	305gr	690gr	74mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM	75 - 225mm	1350gr	1906gr	198mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS	70 - 200mm	357gr	742gr	100mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM	45mm	435gr	991gr	63mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH	50mm	205gr	590gr	55mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM	15 - 30mm	520gr	1076gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH	16 - 36mm	315gr	700gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM	22.5 - 127.5mm	575gr	1131gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS	24 - 120mm	320gr	705gr	86mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM	100 - 400mm	1590gr	2146gr	193mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3	200 - 800mm	985gr	1370gr	172mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 400D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Canon 400D for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Canon 400D for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 400D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
556g
Body Thickness 65mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
385g
Read the details

Canon 400D for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GF1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 400D and Panasonic GF1 scores compare:

Canon 400D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #71 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #609 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic GF1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #107 out of 128 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #446 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic GF1 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 400D. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that GF1 trails behind the 400D: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 400D. If not, we recommend the Panasonic GF1.

Panasonic GF1 vs Canon 400D Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS 400D	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Brand	Canon	Panasonic
Announced	2006-10-14	2009-10-14
Body Type	Compact SLR	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	22.2 x 14.8 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	328.56mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3888 x 2592	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF/EF-S	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	326	107
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	None
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.5x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (ISO 100)	6.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1280 x 720
Video Formats	n/a	AVCHD Lite
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	556g	385g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 65mm	119 x 71 x 36mm
Battery Life	n/a	380 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	62	54
DxO Color Depth	22.1	21.2
DxO Dynamic Range	11.0	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	664	513
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