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Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

10 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

Panasonic ZS3
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Panasonic GH2

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

Panasonic GH2
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Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Panasonic cameras cameras with different body types: Panasonic ZS3, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Panasonic GH2, which was introduced in March 2011 is a Advanced Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. There is 22 months difference between ZS3 and GH2 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger GH2, especially in sensor tech.

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 Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-05-14
  • 10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 2 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 229g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ7

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 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight
229 g vs 442 g 213 g lighter


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
23 vs 11 12 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
3.0fps vs 2.0fps 1 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Flash Coverage
15.6m vs 5.3m 10.3m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 2.78µm2 407% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 460k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2: 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 ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS3 has external dimensions of 103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.06 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 229 g (0.50 lb / 8.08 oz) (including batteries). 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).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2. Panasonic ZS3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 21mm narrower, 30mm shorter and 43mm thinner than Panasonic GH2. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS3 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GH2 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GH2, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2.
Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS3 is significantly lighter (213g ) than the Panasonic GH2 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 GH2, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7) nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Panasonic GH2 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 ZS3's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to GH2.
Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Panasonic GH2's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic ZS3'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 ZS3 and GH2 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GH2 has a 8.1x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS3. 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 Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 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 ZS3 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH2 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
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 ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH2 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
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 ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH2 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
11 Focus Points
300 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
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

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
229g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
442g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH2 for Landscape Photography

POOR
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic GH2: 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 ZS3 and Panasonic GH2, 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 ZS3 and Panasonic GH2 scores compare:

Panasonic ZS3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #342 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #996 out of 1223 in all Cameras
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 GH2 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS3 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic ZS3. Otherwise, Panasonic GH2 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS3
Panasonic ZS3
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Panasonic GH2
Panasonic GH2
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Panasonic GH2 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Brand Panasonic Panasonic
Announced 2009-05-14 2011-03-23
Body Type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch Four Thirds
Dimensions 6.08 x 4.56 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 27.72mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 160 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 11 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens Focal Range 25-300 mm (12×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.3-4.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 3cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.71x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.30 m (Auto ISO) 15.60 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 2.0 fps 3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080
Video Formats AVCHD Lite AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 442g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 124 x 90 x 76mm
Battery Life n/a 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 60
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.2
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 655
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