Nikon P1000 vs Panasonic G6

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in July 2018 and April 2013. The P1000 is a fixed lens compact, while the G6 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (P1000) and a Four Thirds (G6) sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 15.9 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon P1000		Panasonic G6
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
24-3000mm f/2.8-8.0		Micro Four Thirds lenses
15.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-6,400		ISO 160-12,800 (160 - 25,600)
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)
3.2" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 1036k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel touchscreen
7 shutter flaps per second		7 shutter flaps per second
250 shots per battery charge		340 shots per battery charge
146 x 119 x 181 mm, 1415 g		122 x 85 x 71 mm, 390 g

Check P1000 price at
amazon.com
Check G6 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix P1000 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Nikon P1000 and the Panasonic G6 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The G6 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the P1000 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic G6 is considerably smaller (40 percent) than the Nikon P1000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the P1000 nor the G6 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the P1000 has a lens built in, whereas the G6 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the G6 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the P1000 gets 250 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL20a battery, while the G6 can take 340 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLC12 power pack. The power pack in the P1000 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon P1000	146 mm	119 mm	181 mm	1415 g	250	n	Jul 2018	EUR 1 099	amazon.com
2.		Panasonic G6	122 mm	85 mm	71 mm	390 g	340	n	Apr 2013	EUR 549	ebay.com
3.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
5.		Leica V-LUX 2	124 mm	80 mm	95 mm	520 g	410	n	Sep 2010	EUR 749	ebay.com
6.		Nikon Coolpix A	111 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	230	n	Mar 2013	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
7.		Nikon A1000	114 mm	72 mm	41 mm	330 g	250	n	Jan 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
8.		Nikon B600	122 mm	82 mm	99 mm	500 g	280	n	Jan 2019	EUR 359	ebay.com
9.		Nikon P900	140 mm	103 mm	137 mm	899 g	360	n	Mar 2015	EUR 619	ebay.com
10.		Nikon W300	112 mm	66 mm	29 mm	231 g	280	Y	May 2017	EUR 449	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	EUR 599	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic G3	115 mm	84 mm	47 mm	336 g	270	n	May 2011	EUR 579	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic G5	120 mm	83 mm	71 mm	396 g	320	n	Jul 2012	EUR 649	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic G7	125 mm	86 mm	77 mm	410 g	350	n	May 2015	EUR 699	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GF6	111 mm	65 mm	38 mm	323 g	340	n	Apr 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon P1000 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Panasonic G6 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the G6 is 704 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 2.0. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Even though the G6 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 15.9 megapixels. This implies that the G6 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 1.33μm for the P1000), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the P1000 is much more recent (by 5 years and 2 months) than the G6, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the P1000 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 are ISO 160 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 160-25600.

In terms of underlying technology, the P1000 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the G6 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon P1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1044	51
2.		Panasonic G6	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	21.3	11.5	639	61
3.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.9	12.8	1002	72
5.		Leica V-LUX 2	1/2.3	14.0	4320	3240	1080/60i	19.4	10.7	321	39
6.		Nikon Coolpix A	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.4	13.8	1164	80
7.		Nikon A1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
8.		Nikon B600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
9.		Nikon P900	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	727	47
10.		Nikon W300	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.5	12.0	938	50
11.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
12.		Panasonic G3	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60i	21.0	10.6	667	56
13.		Panasonic G5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	21.4	11.6	618	61
14.		Panasonic G7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	904	71
15.		Panasonic GF6	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60i	20.7	10.6	622	54
16.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
17.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the P1000 provides a higher video resolution than the G6. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Panasonic is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the P1000 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the G6 (2359k vs 1440k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Nikon P1000 and Panasonic G6 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon P1000	2359	n	3.2 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Panasonic G6	1440	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
3.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
5.		Leica V-LUX 2	202	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	n	1/2000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Nikon Coolpix A	optional	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/2000s	4.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon A1000	1166	n	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Nikon B600	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon P900	921	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Nikon W300	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Panasonic G3	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
13.		Panasonic G5	1440	n	3.0 / 920	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
14.		Panasonic G7	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
15.		Panasonic GF6	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
16.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The G6 has a touchscreen, while the P1000 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the G6 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Nikon P1000 and the Panasonic G6 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the P1000 and the G6 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Coolpix P1000 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon P1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Panasonic G6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Leica V-LUX 2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon Coolpix A	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon A1000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon B600	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Nikon P900	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Nikon W300	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Panasonic G3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Panasonic G5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Panasonic G7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Panasonic GF6	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
17.		Sony RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y

The P1000 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Nikon. In contrast, the G6 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the G6 was succeeded by the Panasonic G7. Further information on the features and operation of the P1000 and G6 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon P1000 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic G6 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon P1000 or the Panasonic G6 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon Coolpix P1000:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2359k vs 1440k dots).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the G6 requires a separate lens.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 2 months of technical progress since the G6 launch.

Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
• Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1036k vs 921k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• More compact: Is smaller (122x85mm vs 146x119mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (340 versus 250) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in April 2013).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the G6 is the clear winner of the contest (13 : 9 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon P1000 and the Panasonic G6 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the P1000 and the G6 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon P1000	..	+	3.5/5	73/100	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2018	EUR 1 099	amazon.com
2.		Panasonic G6	4/5	+ +	..	..	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	EUR 549	ebay.com
3.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
5.		Leica V-LUX 2	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2010	EUR 749	ebay.com
6.		Nikon Coolpix A	4/5	+	..	75/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
7.		Nikon A1000	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
8.		Nikon B600	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	EUR 359	ebay.com
9.		Nikon P900	..	..	..	77/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2015	EUR 619	ebay.com
10.		Nikon W300	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	May 2017	EUR 449	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	EUR 599	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic G3	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2011	EUR 579	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic G5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2012	EUR 649	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic G7	4/5	+ +	3.5/5	80/100	5/5	4.5/5	May 2015	EUR 699	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GF6	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
17.		Sony RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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