CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2 Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Canon G1 X III

24 MP | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon G1 X III
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Panasonic GF2

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

Panasonic GF2
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon G1 X III, which was introduced in October 2017 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Panasonic GF2, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, GF2 is 6 years older than G1 X III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon G1 X III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 24-72 mm F2.8-5.6 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3 Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 9.0 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 399g. 115 x 78 x 51 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II Compare

Panasonic GF2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-24
  • 12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 310g. 113 x 68 x 33 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Compare

Panasonic GF2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 vs Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 12 MP 100% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
49 vs 23 26 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 460k dots 126% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
9.0fps vs 3.0fps 6 fps faster
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
9.0m vs 6.0m 3m longer range
AE Bracketing Range
±3 EV vs ±1 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Built-in ND Filter
3.0-stops vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 over Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
300 shots vs 200 shots 100 more frames with a single charge
Weight
310 g vs 399 g 89 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
18.74µm2 vs 13.84µm2 35% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
New4
Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2: 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 G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon G1 X III has external dimensions of 115 x 78 x 51 mm (4.53 x 3.07 x 2.01″) and weighs 399 g (0.88 lb / 14.07 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic GF2 has external dimensions of 113 x 68 x 33 mm (4.45 x 2.68 x 1.3″) and weighs 310 g (0.68 lb / 10.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2. Panasonic GF2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 2mm narrower, 10mm shorter and 18mm thinner than Canon G1 X III. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G1 X III has a built-in lens but Panasonic GF2 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GF2, its thickness will increase significantly.

Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2.

Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2.
Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GF2 is significantly lighter (89g ) than the Canon G1 X III which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on GF2, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that G1 X III has a big advantage over GF2 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

On the other hand, Canon G1 X III 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. Panasonic GF2's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to G1 X III.
Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2: Sensor Comparison

Canon G1 X III has a 24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 7 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic GF2 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Canon G1 X III's sensor provides 12MP more than Panasonic GF2's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the G1 X III and GF2 sensor size comparison.

Canon G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 Cameras


As seen above, Canon G1 X III has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GF2. 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.

What types of Photography are Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 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 G1 X III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF2 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
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 G1 X III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GF2 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
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 G1 X III for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF2 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Environmental Sealings
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
72 mm Tele Lens
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 G1 X III for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
399g
Body Thickness 51mm
3.0X Optical Zoom
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
310g
Read the details

Canon G1 X III for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF2 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
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 G1 X III vs Panasonic GF2: 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 G1 X III and Panasonic GF2, 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 G1 X III and Panasonic GF2 scores compare:

Canon G1 X III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #134 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Panasonic GF2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #91 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #401 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Canon G1 X III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic GF2 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Canon G1 X III.

Canon G1 X III
Canon G1 X III
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic GF2
Panasonic GF2
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic GF2 vs Canon G1 X III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2
Brand Canon Panasonic
Announced 2017-10-25 2011-02-24
Body Type Large sensor compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C Four Thirds
Dimensions 22.3 x 14.9 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 332.27mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 6,400 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 49 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens Focal Range 24-72 mm (3x) no lens
Max Aperture F2.8-5.6 no lens
Macro Focus Range 10cm no lens
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,040k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 9.00 m (at Auto ISO) 6.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 9.0 fps 3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 399g 310g
Dimensions 115 x 78 x 51mm 113 x 68 x 33mm
Battery Life 200 shots 300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 54
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.2
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 10.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 506
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated Compact Cameras
Top Compact Cameras Under $200
Top Compact Cameras Under $500
Top Compact Cameras Under $750
Top Compact Cameras Under $1000
Top Rated Mirrorless Cameras
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $500
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $750
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1000
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1500
Latest Cameras
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Fujifilm X-S10
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Nikon Z7 II
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Nikon Z6 II
25 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Canon M50 II
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Canon EF-M Mount
Sony A7c
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Panasonic S5
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Copyright © 2020 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction