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Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6 Comparison

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Panasonic GH2

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

Panasonic GH2
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Nikon Z6

25 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon Z6
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Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Nikon. Panasonic GH2 was introduced to market in March 2011 and Nikon Z6 was launched in August 2018. As you can see, GH2 is 7 years older than Z6. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Nikon Z6 has a 25.0MP Full frame sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic GH2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-03-23
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 442g. 124 x 90 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Compare

Nikon Z6 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-08-23
  • 25MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50-204800)
  • Nikon Z Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Tilting Screen
  • 3690k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 12.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 675g. 134 x 101 x 68 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Panasonic GH2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Nikon Z6

Nikon Z6 was replaced by Nikon Z6 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Z6 Mark II vs Nikon Z6
Nikon Z6 Mark II vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 over Nikon Z6
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
442 g vs 675 g 233 g lighter


Reasons to choose Nikon Z6 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder Magnification
0.8x vs 0.71x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
25 MP vs 16 MP 56% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 12.800 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
273 vs 23 250 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
2.100k dots vs 460k dots 356% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
12.0fps vs 3.0fps 9 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
Color Depth
25.3 vs 21.2 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.3 vs 11.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3299 vs 655 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
35.25µm2 vs 14.12µm2 149% larger pixel area
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 Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
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
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and Nikon Z6
Adjustable LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.2" Large display
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and Nikon Z6
Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6: 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 GH2 and Nikon Z6 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic GH2 has external dimensions of 124 x 90 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 2.99″) and weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz) (including batteries). Nikon Z6 has external dimensions of 134 x 101 x 68 mm (5.28 x 3.98 x 2.68″) and weighs 675 g (1.49 lb / 23.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6. Panasonic GH2 is 10mm narrower and 11mm shorter than Nikon Z6 but it is also 8mm thicker.

Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6.
Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GH2 is significantly lighter (233g ) than the Nikon Z6 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 Z6 has a Full frame sensor and Panasonic GH2 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GH2's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon Z6 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GH2
Z6
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GH2
Z6
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of Z6, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to GH2.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon Z6's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic GH2's 3" screen.

Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor. On the other hand, Nikon Z6 has a 25.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 6 processor.

Nikon Z6's sensor provides 9MP more than Panasonic GH2'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 GH2 and Z6 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon Z6 has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GH2. 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. Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that Z6 has a better overall score of 95, 35 points higher compared to GH2's score of 60.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Panasonic GH2 60 21.2 bits 11.3 Evs 655 ISO
Nikon Z6 95 25.3 bits 14.3 Evs 3299 ISO
Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6 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 Panasonic GH2 has an advantage over Nikon Z6. There are 107 lenses for Panasonic GH2's Micro Four Thirds mount, on the other hand there are only 18 lenses for Nikon Z6's Nikon Z lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Nikon Z6 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Panasonic GH2 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Panasonic GH2 Lenses # of Nikon Z6 Lenses
Standard Zoom 15 4 (3 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 13 3 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 5 2 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 29 4 (4 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 18 2 (1 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 9 2 (2 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 1 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 4 n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 107 18 (16 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 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 747gr 74mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S Lens Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
24 - 70mm 805gr 1480gr 126mm 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 799gr 100mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 VR S Lens Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 VR S
70 - 200mm 1440gr 2115gr 220mm 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 647gr 55mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S Lens Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S
50mm 415gr 1090gr 87mm 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 757gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S Lens Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S
14 - 30mm 485gr 1160gr 85mm 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 762gr 86mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR Lens Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR
24 - 200mm 570gr 1245gr 114mm 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 1427gr 172mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR Lens Nikon Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR
75 - 375mm 405gr 1080gr 110mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 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 GH2 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon Z6 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 25.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z6 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z6 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
273 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon Z6 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
442g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
675g
Body Thickness 68mm
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon Z6 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 25.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon Z6: 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 GH2 and Nikon Z6, 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 Panasonic GH2 and Nikon Z6 scores compare:

Panasonic GH2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #77 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #299 out of 1225 in all Cameras
Nikon Z6
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #18 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #20 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Nikon Z6 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic GH2 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic GH2. Otherwise, Nikon Z6 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic GH2
Panasonic GH2
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Nikon Z6
Nikon Z6
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Nikon Z6 vs Panasonic GH2 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Nikon Z6
Brand Panasonic Nikon
Announced 2011-03-23 2018-08-23
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Four Thirds Full frame
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 35.9 x 23.9 mm
Area 224.90mm2 858.01mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 25 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 6048 x 4024
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 204800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 50 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 23 273
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Nikon Z
Number of Available Lenses 107 18
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Tilting
Size 3" 3.2"
Resolution 460k dots 2,100k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution n/a 3,690k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.8x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 15.60 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/160s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 12.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Video Formats AVCHD, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 442g 675g
Dimensions 124 x 90 x 76mm 134 x 101 x 68mm
Battery Life 330 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 60 95
DxO Color Depth 21.2 25.3
DxO Dynamic Range 11.3 14.3
DxO Low Light ISO 655 3299
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