Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic GH3 Comparison

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Panasonic GH2

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

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Panasonic GH3

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

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Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic GH3 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing GH2 and GH3, two Advanced Mirrorless cameras by Panasonic. Both Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 cameras have 16.0MP Four Thirds sensors. Panasonic GH2 was introduced to market in March 2011 and Panasonic GH3 was launched in September 2012. There is 18 months difference between GH2 and GH3 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger GH3, especially in sensor tech.

GH2 and GH3 are members of Panasonic's GH series of cameras. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Panasonic GH Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Panasonic GH5S	2018	10.0MP - Four Thirds	12.0 fps	139 x 98 x 87mm	660g
Panasonic GH5	2017	20.0MP - Four Thirds	12.0 fps	139 x 98 x 87mm	725g
Panasonic GH4	2014	16.0MP - Four Thirds	12.0 fps	133 x 93 x 84mm	560g
Panasonic GH3	2012	16.0MP - Four Thirds	20.0 fps	133 x 93 x 82mm	550g
Panasonic GH2	2011	16.0MP - Four Thirds	3.0 fps	124 x 90 x 76mm	442g

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 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

Panasonic GH3 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-09-17

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 12800

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

1744k dot Electronic viewfinder

20 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

550g. 133 x 93 x 82 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Compare

Panasonic GH3 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x vs 0.67x	Larger Viewfinder
Weight	442 g vs 550 g	108 g lighter
Flash Coverage	15.6m vs 12.0m	3.6m longer range
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±1 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
LCD Screen Resolution	614k dots vs 460k dots	33% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 3.0fps	17 fps faster
Battery Life	540 shots vs 330 shots	210 more frames with a single charge
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	22.7 vs 21.2	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	12.4 vs 11.3	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	812 vs 655	better High ISO performance
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs No	Connect off-camera flash

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Adjustable LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Fully Articulated	Flexible shooting positions
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
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
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs Yes	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

In-body Image Stabilization	Optical vs No	No Built-in stabilization

Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic GH3: 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 Panasonic GH3 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). Panasonic GH3 has external dimensions of 133 x 93 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.66 x 3.23″) and weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3. Panasonic GH2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Panasonic GH3.

Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 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 (108g ) than the Panasonic GH3 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 both Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 have the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount and Four Thirds sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GH2

GH3

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GH2

GH3

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of GH3, 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

Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Both cameras feature Fully Articulating screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. Fully articulating screens are also useful for taking Selfie shots and video.

Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic GH3: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 have Four Thirds sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the GH2 and GH3 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 Cameras

Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with 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 Panasonic GH3 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that GH3 has a better overall score of 71, 11 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
Panasonic GH3	71	22.7 bits	12.4 Evs	812 ISO

Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic GH3 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 have the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount and currently there are 107 native lenses available for these cameras.

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 31 lenses with Image stabilization for Micro Four Thirds mount.

Lens Type	# of Panasonic GH2 Lenses	# of Panasonic GH3 Lenses
Standard Zoom	15	15
Standard Prime	13	13
Wideangle Zoom	5	5
Wideangle Prime	29	29
Telephoto Zoom	18	18
Telephoto Prime	9	9
SuperZoom	8	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	5	5
Macro Prime	4	4
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	107	107

Here are some of the most popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for GH2 and GH3

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS	FourThirds	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. Power O.I.S	FourThirds	265gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO	FourThirds	382gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH	FourThirds	125gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye Body Cap Lens	FourThirds	30gr	MF	Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8	FourThirds	136gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH Power OIS	FourThirds	305gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS	FourThirds	360gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic GH2 and Panasonic GH3 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

Panasonic GH3 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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

Panasonic GH2 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH3 for Street Photography

GOOD

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

Panasonic GH2 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH3 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

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 540 shots
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH3 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
442g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
550g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic GH3: 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 Panasonic GH3, 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 Panasonic GH3 scores compare:

Panasonic GH2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #76 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #298 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic GH3

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #64 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #138 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic GH3 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, Panasonic GH3 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic GH2 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Brand	Panasonic	Panasonic
Announced	2011-03-23	2012-09-17
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	Four Thirds	Four Thirds
Dimensions	17.3 x 13 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	224.90mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	160 ISO	200 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	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	107	107
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Fully Articulated
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	614k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	n/a	1,744k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x	0.67x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	15.60 m	12.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/160s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	20.0 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	AVCHD, Motion JPEG	MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	442g	550g
Dimensions	124 x 90 x 76mm	133 x 93 x 82mm
Battery Life	330 shots	540 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	60	71
DxO Color Depth	21.2	22.7
DxO Dynamic Range	11.3	12.4
DxO Low Light ISO	655	812
	Report a correction	Report a correction