Canon 400D vs Panasonic GH1 Comparison

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Canon 400D

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

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Panasonic GH1

12 MP | Four Thirds (18.89 x 14.48 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Canon 400D vs Panasonic GH1 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 GH1, which was introduced in July 2009 is a Advanced Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, 400D is 3 years older than GH1. 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 GH1 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 GH1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-07-10

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 3200)

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

Electronic viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

385g. 124 x 90 x 45 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-GH1

Panasonic GH1 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 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 GH1 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-GH1

Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 10.5m	1.5m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 21.6	higher color depth
Sensor Pixel Area	32.60µm² vs 22.79µm²	43% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 over Canon EOS 400D

LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 95%	More accurate viewfinder
Weight	385 g vs 556 g	171 g lighter
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Dynamic Range	11.6 vs 11.0	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	772 vs 664	better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 400D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 400D and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs Optical	No Built-in stabilization
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GH1: 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 GH1 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 GH1 has external dimensions of 124 x 90 x 45 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 1.77″) 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 GH1. Panasonic GH1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 4mm shorter and 20mm thinner than Canon 400D.

Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic GH1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 400D and Panasonic GH1.

Top View Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic GH1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GH1 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 GH1 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GH1'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

GH1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

GH1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X) nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 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 GH1's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 400D's 2.5" screen.

Moreover, Panasonic GH1 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Canon 400D has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to GH1.

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GH1: Sensor Comparison

Canon 400D has a 10.0MP APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic GH1 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (18.89 x 14.48 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine HD processor.

Below you can see the 400D and GH1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 400D and Panasonic GH1 Cameras

As seen above, Canon 400D has a 1.2x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GH1. 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

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Canon 400D and Panasonic GH1 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that GH1 has a better overall score of 64, 2 points higher compared to 400D's score of 62.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon 400D	62	22.1 bits	11.0 Evs	664 ISO
Panasonic GH1	64	21.6 bits	11.6 Evs	772 ISO

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GH1 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 GH1. There are 326 lenses for Canon 400D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic GH1'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 GH1 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 GH1 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 GH1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon 400D and Panasonic GH1 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 GH1 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 (18.89 x 14.48 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 400D for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH1 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 (18.89 x 14.48 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 400D for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH1 for Sports Photography

GOOD

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

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

Canon 400D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

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

Large Four Thirds (18.89 x 14.48 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
385g
Body Thickness 45mm
Read the details

Canon 400D for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH1 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 (18.89 x 14.48 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 400D vs Panasonic GH1: 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 GH1, 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 GH1 scores compare:

Canon 400D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #70 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #608 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Panasonic GH1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #84 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #396 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Panasonic GH1 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 400D and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic GH1 vs Canon 400D Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS 400D	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Brand	Canon	Panasonic
Announced	2006-10-14	2009-07-10
Body Type	Compact SLR	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	22.2 x 14.8 mm	18.89 x 14.48 mm
Area	328.56mm²	273.53mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3888 x 2592	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	3200 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF/EF-S	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	326	107
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fully Articulated
Size	2.5"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
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	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (ISO 100)	10.50 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	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	n/a	AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	556g	385g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 65mm	124 x 90 x 45mm
Battery Life	n/a	320 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	62	64
DxO Color Depth	22.1	21.6
DxO Dynamic Range	11.0	11.6
DxO Low Light ISO	664	772
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