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Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Panasonic G9

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

Panasonic G9
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Nikon D3200

24 MP | APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3200
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Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic G9, which was introduced in November 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Nikon D3200, which was introduced in July 2012 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, D3200 is 5 years older than G9. 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 Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic G9 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-11-08
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 3680k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 658g. 137 x 97 x 92 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Nikon D3200 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-07-25
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 4.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 505g. 125 x 96 x 77 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D3100 Compare

Nikon D3200 was replaced by Nikon D3300. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D3300 vs Nikon D3200
Nikon D3300 vs Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 over Nikon D3200
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.83x vs 0.53x Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO
25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 11 214 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 95% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 4.0fps 16 fps faster
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (80.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
CHECK G9 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon D3200 over Panasonic Lumix DC-G9
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Battery Life
540 shots vs 400 shots 140 more frames with a single charge
Weight
505 g vs 658 g 153 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
14.85µm2 vs 11.16µm2 33% larger pixel area
CHECK D3200 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Nikon D3200
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and Nikon D3200
Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200: 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 Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic G9 has external dimensions of 137 x 97 x 92 mm (5.39 x 3.82 x 3.62″) and weighs 658 g (1.45 lb / 23.21 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D3200 has external dimensions of 125 x 96 x 77 mm (4.92 x 3.78 x 3.03″) and weighs 505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200. Nikon D3200 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 12mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 15mm thinner than Panasonic G9.

Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200.

Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200.
Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D3200 is significantly lighter (153g ) than the Panasonic G9 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 Nikon D3200 has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic G9 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic G9's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D3200 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

G9
D3200
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

G9
D3200
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that G9 has a big advantage over D3200 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Panasonic G9 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. Nikon D3200's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to G9.
Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic G9 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Nikon D3200 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic G9's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the G9 and D3200 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D3200 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G9. 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.

Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200 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 Nikon D3200 has an advantage over Panasonic G9 There are 316 lenses for Nikon D3200's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 119 lenses for Panasonic G9's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic G9 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. G9's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Nikon D3200 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 107 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Panasonic G9 Lenses # of Nikon D3200 Lenses
Standard Zoom 17 33
Standard Prime 15 22
Wideangle Zoom 6 33
Wideangle Prime 32 50
Telephoto Zoom 19 54
Telephoto Prime 11 46
SuperZoom 8 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 8
Macro Prime 4 26
Perspective Control Prime n/a 11
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 119 316


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS Lens Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS
24 - 70mm 305gr 963gr 74mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF Lens Nikon 17-55mm f2.8G ED-IF
25.5 - 82.5mm 755gr 1260gr 111mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS Lens Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS
70 - 200mm 357gr 1015gr 100mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM
75 - 225mm 1350gr 1855gr 198mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH Lens Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH
50mm 205gr 863gr 55mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon 35mm f1.8G
52.5mm 200gr 705gr 53mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Lens Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH
16 - 36mm 315gr 973gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED Lens Nikon 10-24mm f3-5-4.5G ED
15 - 36mm 460gr 965gr 87mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS
24 - 120mm 320gr 978gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR Lens Nikon DX 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR
24 - 120mm 480gr 985gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 Lens Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3
200 - 800mm 985gr 1643gr 172mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR
80 - 400mm 1570gr 2075gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 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.

Panasonic G9 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3200 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D3200 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3200 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
1 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 540 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D3200 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
658g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Large Body
505g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details

Panasonic G9 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D3200 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic G9 vs Nikon D3200: 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 Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 Panasonic G9 and Nikon D3200 scores compare:

Panasonic G9
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #70 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Nikon D3200
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #30 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #247 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Panasonic G9 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D3200 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic G9
Panasonic G9
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Nikon D3200
Nikon D3200
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Nikon D3200 vs Panasonic G9 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Nikon D3200
Brand Panasonic Nikon
Announced 2017-11-08 2012-07-25
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 23.2 x 15.4 mm
Area 224.90mm2 357.28mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 6016 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 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 225 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 119 316
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution 3,680k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.83x 0.53x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/32000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 658g 505g
Dimensions 137 x 97 x 92mm 125 x 96 x 77mm
Battery Life 400 shots 540 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 81
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.1
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.2
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1131
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