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Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A7S II

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and the Sony Alpha 7S II are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in September 2012 and September 2015. Both the GH3 and the A7S II are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on a Four Thirds (GH3) and a full frame (A7S II) sensor. The Panasonic has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 12 MP.

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

Headline Specifications
Panasonic GH3
versus
Sony A7S II
Panasonic GH3   Sony A7S II
Mirrorless system camera Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses Sony E mount lenses
15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor 12 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/60p Video 4K/30p Video
ISO 200-12,800 (125 - 25,600) ISO 100-102,400 (50 - 409,600)
Electronic viewfinder (1746k dots) Electronic viewfinder (2400k dots)
3.0" LCD – 614k dots 3.0" LCD – 1229k dots
Swivel touchscreen Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
6 shutter flaps per second 5 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization onlyIn-body stabilization
Weathersealed bodyWeathersealed body
540 shots per battery charge370 shots per battery charge
133 x 93 x 82 mm, 550 g 127 x 96 x 60 mm, 627 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and the Sony Alpha 7S II? 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.

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Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Panasonic GH3 and the Sony A7S II are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A7S II
Compare GH3 versus A7S II top
Comparison GH3 or A7S II rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A7S II is somewhat smaller (1 percent) than the Panasonic GH3. However, the A7S II is markedly heavier (14 percent) than the GH3. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (GH3) and the Sony FE Lens Catalog (A7S II). Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the GH3 gets 540 shots out of its Panasonic DMW-BLF19 battery, while the A7S II can take 370 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack. The power pack in the A7S II can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

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Body Specifications
  empty Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic GH3 133 mm 93 mm 82 mm 550 g 540 Y Sep 2012 US$ 1 299ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A7S II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 627 g 370 Y Sep 2015 US$ 2 999ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-M1 130 mm 94 mm 63 mm 497 g 350 Y Sep 2013 US$ 1 399ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 122 mm 89 mm 43 mm 425 g 360 Y Feb 2012 US$ 1 299ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-M5 II 124 mm 85 mm 45 mm 469 g 310 Y Feb 2015 US$ 1 099ebay.com
6.
 
Panasonic G5 120 mm 83 mm 71 mm 396 g 320 n Jul 2012 US$ 599ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic G6 122 mm 85 mm 71 mm 390 g 340 n Apr 2013 US$ 599ebay.com
8.
 
Panasonic G85 128 mm 89 mm 74 mm 505 g 330 Y Sep 2016 US$ 899ebay.com
9.
 
Panasonic GH2 124 mm 90 mm 76 mm 442 g 330 n Sep 2010 US$ 899ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic GH4 133 mm 93 mm 84 mm 560 g 500 Y Feb 2014 US$ 1 499ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic GM1 99 mm 55 mm 30 mm 204 g 230 n Oct 2013 US$ 749ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic GX8 133 mm 78 mm 63 mm 487 g 330 Y Jul 2015 US$ 1 199ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A7 IV 131 mm 96 mm 80 mm 659 g 580 Y Oct 2021 US$ 2 499 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A7R II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 625 g 290 Y Jun 2015 US$ 3 199ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A7R IV 129 mm 96 mm 78 mm 665 g 670 Y Jul 2019 US$ 3 499ebay.com
16.
 
Sony A7S 127 mm 94 mm 48 mm 489 g 380 Y Apr 2014 US$ 2 499ebay.com
17.
 
Sony A7S III 127 mm 97 mm 81 mm 699 g 600 Y Jul 2020 US$ 3 499 amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The GH3 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 57 percent) than the A7S II, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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 size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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 tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Panasonic GH3 features a Four Thirds sensor and the Sony A7S II a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the A7S II is 276 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 1.0. The sensor in the GH3 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the A7S II offers a 3:2 aspect.

Panasonic GH3 and Sony A7S II sensor measures

Despite having a smaller sensor, the Panasonic GH3 offers a higher resolution of 15.9 megapixels, compared with 12 MP of the Sony A7S II. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 8.40μm for the A7S II). Moreover, it should be noted that the A7S II is much more recent (by 2 years and 11 months) than the GH3, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The resolution advantage of the Panasonic GH3 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the GH3 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony A7S II are 21.2 x 14.2 inches or 53.8 x 36 cm for good quality, 17 x 11.3 inches or 43.1 x 28.8 cm for very good quality, and 14.1 x 9.4 inches or 35.9 x 24 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 125-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha 7S II are ISO 100 to ISO 102400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-409600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

GH3 versus A7S II MP

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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. Of the two cameras under consideration, the A7S II offers substantially better image quality than the GH3 (overall score 14 points higher). The advantage is based on 0.9 bits higher color depth, 0.9 EV in additional dynamic range, and 1.9 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
  empty Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Panasonic GH3 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p22.712.481271
2.
 
Sony A7S II Full Frame 12.0 4240 28324K/30p23.613.3299385
3.
 
Olympus E-M1 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/30p23.012.775773
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60i22.812.382671
5.
 
Olympus E-M5 II Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p23.012.584273
6.
 
Panasonic G5 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p21.411.661861
7.
 
Panasonic G6 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p21.311.563961
8.
 
Panasonic G85 Four Thirds 15.8 4592 34484K/30p22.812.565671
9.
 
Panasonic GH2 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60i21.211.365560
10.
 
Panasonic GH4 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34564K/30p23.212.879174
11.
 
Panasonic GM1 Four Thirds 15.8 4592 34481080/60i22.311.766066
12.
 
Panasonic GX8 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/30p23.512.680675
13.
 
Sony A7 IV Full Frame 32.7 7008 46724K/60p25.414.7337997
14.
 
Sony A7R II Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.013.9343498
15.
 
Sony A7R IV Full Frame 60.2 9504 63364K/30p26.014.8334499
16.
 
Sony A7S Full Frame 12.0 4240 28321080/60p23.913.2370287
17.
 
Sony A7S III Full Frame 12.0 4240 28324K/120p23.713.9252086

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A7S II provides a better video resolution than the GH3. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Panasonic is limited to 1080/60p.

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Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A7S II offers a higher resolution than the one in the GH3 (2400k vs 1746k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Panasonic GH3 and Sony A7S II in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
  empty 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.
 
Panasonic GH31746 n3.0 / 614 swivel Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
2.
 
Sony A7S II2400 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
3.
 
Olympus E-M12360 n3.0 / 1037 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
4.
 
Olympus E-M51440 n3.0 / 610 tilting Y 1/4000s 9.0/s n Y
5.
 
Olympus E-M5 II2360 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
6.
 
Panasonic G51440 n3.0 / 920 swivel Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
7.
 
Panasonic G61440 n3.0 / 1036 swivel Y 1/4000s 7.0/s Y n
8.
 
Panasonic G852360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 9.0/s Y Y
9.
 
Panasonic GH21534 n3.0 / 460 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
10.
 
Panasonic GH42359 n3.0 / 1036 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s Y n
11.
 
Panasonic GM1none n3.0 / 1036 fixed Y 1/500s 5.0/s Y n
12.
 
Panasonic GX82360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
13.
 
Sony A7 IV3686 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
14.
 
Sony A7R II2400 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
15.
 
Sony A7R IV5760 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
16.
 
Sony A7S2400 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
17.
 
Sony A7S III9440 n3.0 / 1440 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The GH3 has one, while the A7S II does not. While the built-in flash of the GH3 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The GH3 has an articulated LCD that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in snapping selfies. In contrast, the A7S II does not have a selfie-screen.

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, both cameras under consideration feature an 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 Panasonic GH3 has 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.

The GH3 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A7S II uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

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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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Sony Alpha 7S II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
  empty Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Panasonic GH3Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0Y--
2.
 
Sony A7S IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
3.
 
Olympus E-M1Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
4.
 
Olympus E-M5Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
5.
 
Olympus E-M5 IIYstereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
6.
 
Panasonic G5Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
7.
 
Panasonic G6Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
8.
 
Panasonic G85Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
9.
 
Panasonic GH2Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
10.
 
Panasonic GH4Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
11.
 
Panasonic GM1-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
12.
 
Panasonic GX8Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
13.
 
Sony A7 IVYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
14.
 
Sony A7R IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
15.
 
Sony A7R IVYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
16.
 
Sony A7SYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
17.
 
Sony A7S IIIYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Panasonic GH3 (unlike the A7S II) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the GH3 and the A7S II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The GH3 was replaced by the Panasonic GH4, while the A7S II was followed by the Sony A7S III. Further information on the features and operation of the GH3 and A7S II can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic GH3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A7S II Manual.

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Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Panasonic GH3 better than the Sony A7S II or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

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Reasons to prefer the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3:

  • More detail: Offers more megapixels (15.9 vs 12MP) with a 13% higher linear resolution.
  • More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
  • Less heavy: Is lighter (by 77g or 12 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
  • Longer lasting: Can take more shots (540 versus 370) on a single battery charge.
  • Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
  • Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
  • More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (57 percent cheaper at launch).
  • More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2012).

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Advantages of the Sony Alpha 7S II:

  • Better image quality: Scores substantially higher (14 points) in the DXO overall evaluation.
  • More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (0.9 EV of extra DR).
  • Better low-light sensitivity: Can shoot in dim conditions (1.9 stops ISO advantage).
  • Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
  • More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2400k vs 1746k dots).
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.78x vs 0.67x).
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1229k vs 614k dots).
  • Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
  • Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
  • Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
  • Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
  • More modern: Reflects 2 years and 11 months of technical progress since the GH3 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the match-up finishes in a tie (12 points each). 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.

GH3 12:12 A7S II

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Panasonic GH3 and the Sony A7S II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the GH3 or the A7S II. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear 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.

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Expert Camera Reviews
  empty  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic GH35/5+ +..79/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 US$ 1 299ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A7S II5/5+....4.5/55/5 Sep 2015 US$ 2 999ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-M15/5+ +..84/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2013 US$ 1 399ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-M54/5+ +..80/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2012 US$ 1 299ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-M5 II5/5+ +4.5/581/1005/55/5 Feb 2015 US$ 1 099ebay.com
6.
 
Panasonic G53/5+ +....4.5/54.5/5 Jul 2012 US$ 599ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic G64/5+ +....5/54.5/5 Apr 2013 US$ 599ebay.com
8.
 
Panasonic G85..+ +..84/1005/54.5/5 Sep 2016 US$ 899ebay.com
9.
 
Panasonic GH25/5+ +..79/1004.5/55/5 Sep 2010 US$ 899ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic GH45/5+ +..85/1005/55/5 Feb 2014 US$ 1 499ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic GM13/5+..78/1005/54.5/5 Oct 2013 US$ 749ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic GX85/5+..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jul 2015 US$ 1 199ebay.com
13.
 
Sony A7 IV5/5+ +4.5/589/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2021 US$ 2 499 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A7R II5/5+ +5/590/1005/55/5 Jun 2015 US$ 3 199ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A7R IV5/5+4.5/591/1004.5/55/5 Jul 2019 US$ 3 499ebay.com
16.
 
Sony A7S4/5....86/1004.5/55/5 Apr 2014 US$ 2 499ebay.com
17.
 
Sony A7S III4.5/5+ +5/591/1004.5/55/5 Jul 2020 US$ 3 499 amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications: Panasonic GH3 vs Sony A7S II

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Panasonic GH3 Sony A7S II
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Micro Four Thirds lenses Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date September 2012 September 2015
    Launch Price USD 1,299 USD 2,999
    Sensor Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony A7S II
    Sensor Technology CMOS CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm
    Sensor Area 224.9 mm2 847.28 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm 42.8 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 15.9 Megapixels 12 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4608 x 3456 pixels 4240 x 2832 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.76 μm 8.40 μm
    Pixel Density 7.08 MP/cm2 1.42 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60p Video 4K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 200 - 12,800 ISO 100 - 102,400 ISO
    ISO Boost 125 - 25,600 ISO 50 - 409,600 ISO
    Image Processor Venus VII FHD BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 71 85
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.7 23.6
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.4 13.3
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 812 2993
    Screen Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony A7S II
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100% 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.67x 0.78x
    Viewfinder Resolution 1746k dots 2400k dots
    LCD Framing Live View Live View
    Rear LCD Size 3.0inch 3.0inch
    LCD Resolution 614k dots 1229k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen Tilting screen
    Touch Input Touchscreen no Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony A7S II
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking FeatureFocus Peaking
    Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) 1/4000s 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 6 shutter flaps/s 5 shutter flaps/s
    Electronic ShutterYESYES
    Time-Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer built-inno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationLens stabilization onlyIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony A7S II
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket no PC Sync
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI micro HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication no NFC NFC built-in
    Body Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony A7S II
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed bodyWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Panasonic DMW-BLF19 Sony NP-FW50
    Battery Life (CIPA)540 shots per charge370 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging no USB charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 133 x 93 x 82 mm
    (5.2 x 3.7 x 3.2 in)
    127 x 96 x 60 mm
    (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4 in)
    Camera Weight 550 g (19.4 oz) 627 g (22.1 oz)
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