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Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100 II

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in September 2012 and June 2013. The GH3 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the RX100 II is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on a Four Thirds (GH3) and an one-inch (RX100 II) sensor. The Panasonic has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 20 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 RX100 II
Panasonic GH3   Sony RX100 II
Mirrorless system camera Fixed lens compact camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9
15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor 20 MP – 1" sensor
1080/60p Video 1080/60p Video
ISO 200-12,800 (125 - 25,600) ISO 100-12,800 (100 - 25,600)
Electronic viewfinder (1746k dots) Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD – 614k dots 3.0" LCD – 1229k dots
Swivel touchscreen Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
6 shutter flaps per second 10 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed bodynot weather sealed
540 shots per battery charge350 shots per battery charge
133 x 93 x 82 mm, 550 g 102 x 58 x 38 mm, 281 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 Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 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 side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Panasonic GH3 and the Sony RX100 II. 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 width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100 II
Compare GH3 versus RX100 II top
Comparison GH3 or RX100 II rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony RX100 II is considerably smaller (52 percent) than the Panasonic GH3. It is worth mentioning in this context that the GH3 is splash and dust resistant, while the RX100 II does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the RX100 II has a lens built in, whereas the GH3 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 GH3 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the GH3 gets 540 shots out of its Panasonic DMW-BLF19 battery, while the RX100 II can take 350 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-BX1 power pack. The power pack in the RX100 II can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. 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
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic GH3 133 mm 93 mm 82 mm 550 g 540 Y Sep 2012 1,299ebay.com
2.
 
Sony RX100 II 102 mm 58 mm 38 mm 281 g 350 n Jun 2013 749ebay.com
3.
 
Canon G7 X 103 mm 60 mm 40 mm 304 g 210 n Sep 2014 699ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 II 124 mm 85 mm 45 mm 469 g 310 Y Feb 2015 1,099ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-M1 130 mm 94 mm 63 mm 497 g 350 Y Sep 2013 1,399ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-M5 122 mm 89 mm 43 mm 425 g 360 Y Feb 2012 1,299ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic G85 128 mm 89 mm 74 mm 505 g 330 Y Sep 2016 899ebay.com
8.
 
Panasonic GX8 133 mm 78 mm 63 mm 487 g 330 Y Jul 2015 1,199ebay.com
9.
 
Panasonic GH4 133 mm 93 mm 84 mm 560 g 500 Y Feb 2014 1,499ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic G6 122 mm 85 mm 71 mm 390 g 340 n Apr 2013 599ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic GM1 99 mm 55 mm 30 mm 204 g 230 n Oct 2013 749ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic G5 120 mm 83 mm 71 mm 396 g 320 n Jul 2012 599ebay.com
13.
 
Panasonic GH2 124 mm 90 mm 76 mm 442 g 330 n Sep 2010 899ebay.com
14.
 
Sony ZV-1 105 mm 60 mm 44 mm 294 g 260 n May 2020 799ebay.com
15.
 
Sony RX100 VII 102 mm 58 mm 43 mm 302 g 260 n Jul 2019 1,199 amazon.com
16.
 
Sony RX100 III 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 290 g 320 n May 2014 799ebay.com
17.
 
Sony RX100 102 mm 58 mm 36 mm 240 g 330 n Jun 2012 649ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The RX100 II was launched at a lower price than the GH3, despite having a lens built in. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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. 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 RX100 II an one-inch sensor. The sensor area in the RX100 II is 48 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 2.7. The sensor in the GH3 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the RX100 II offers a 3:2 aspect.

Panasonic GH3 and Sony RX100 II sensor measures

Despite having a smaller sensor, the RX100 II offers a higher resolution of 20 megapixels, compared with 15.9 MP of the GH3. 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 2.41μm versus 3.76μm for the GH3). However, it should be noted that the RX100 II is a somewhat more recent model (by 9 months) than the GH3, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that partly offset its pixel-size disadvantage.

The resolution advantage of the Sony RX100 II implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the RX100 II for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 27.4 x 18.2 inches or 69.5 x 46.3 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 21.9 x 14.6 inches or 55.6 x 37.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 18.2 x 12.2 inches or 46.3 x 30.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Panasonic GH3 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 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 Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II are ISO 100 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

In terms of underlying technology, the GH3 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the RX100 II uses a BSI-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.

GH3 versus RX100 II MP

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the GH3 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the RX100 II (overall score 4 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.2 bits higher color depth, and 0.7 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
# image 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 RX100 II 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p22.512.448367
3.
 
Canon G7 X 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p23.012.755671
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 II Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p23.012.584273
5.
 
Olympus E-M1 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/30p23.012.775773
6.
 
Olympus E-M5 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60i22.812.382671
7.
 
Panasonic G85 Four Thirds 15.8 4592 34484K/30p22.812.565671
8.
 
Panasonic GX8 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/30p23.512.680675
9.
 
Panasonic GH4 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34564K/30p23.212.879174
10.
 
Panasonic G6 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p21.311.563961
11.
 
Panasonic GM1 Four Thirds 15.8 4592 34481080/60i22.311.766066
12.
 
Panasonic G5 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60p21.411.661861
13.
 
Panasonic GH2 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34561080/60i21.211.365560
14.
 
Sony ZV-1 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.212.666966
15.
 
Sony RX100 VII 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p21.812.441863
16.
 
Sony RX100 III 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p22.412.349567
17.
 
Sony RX100 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p22.612.439066
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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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, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the GH3 has an electronic viewfinder (1746k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the RX100 II relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the RX100 II can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the FDA-EV1MK. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Panasonic GH3 and Sony RX100 II along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
# image 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 RX100 IIoptional n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
3.
 
Canon G7 Xnone n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/2000s 6.5/s Y Y
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 II2360 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
5.
 
Olympus E-M12360 n3.0 / 1037 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
6.
 
Olympus E-M51440 n3.0 / 610 tilting Y 1/4000s 9.0/s n Y
7.
 
Panasonic G852360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 9.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Panasonic GX82360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
9.
 
Panasonic GH42359 n3.0 / 1036 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s Y n
10.
 
Panasonic G61440 n3.0 / 1036 swivel Y 1/4000s 7.0/s Y n
11.
 
Panasonic GM1none n3.0 / 1036 fixed Y 1/500s 5.0/s Y n
12.
 
Panasonic G51440 n3.0 / 920 swivel Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
13.
 
Panasonic GH21534 n3.0 / 460 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
14.
 
Sony ZV-1none n3.0 / 922 swivel Y 1/2000s 24.0/s n n
15.
 
Sony RX100 VII2359 n3.0 / 921 tilting Y 1/2000s 90.0/s Y Y
16.
 
Sony RX100 III1440 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
17.
 
Sony RX100none n3.0 / 1229 fixed n 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The GH3 has a touchscreen, while the RX100 II has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

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 RX100 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, the GH3 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 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 RX100 II uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The GH3 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the RX100 II cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

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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 Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 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
# image 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 RX100 IIYstereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
3.
 
Canon G7 X-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 IIYstereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
5.
 
Olympus E-M1Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
6.
 
Olympus E-M5Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
7.
 
Panasonic G85Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
8.
 
Panasonic GX8Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
9.
 
Panasonic GH4Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
10.
 
Panasonic G6Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
11.
 
Panasonic GM1-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
12.
 
Panasonic G5Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
13.
 
Panasonic GH2Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
14.
 
Sony ZV-1Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
15.
 
Sony RX100 VII-stereo / monoY-micro2.0YYY
16.
 
Sony RX100 III-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
17.
 
Sony RX100-stereo / mono--micro2.0---
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It is notable that the GH3 has a microphone port, which is missing on the RX100 II. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Panasonic GH3 (unlike the RX100 II) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the GH3 and the RX100 II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The GH3 was replaced by the Panasonic GH4, while the RX100 II was followed by the Sony RX100 III. Further information on the features and operation of the GH3 and RX100 II can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic GH3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony RX100 II Manual.

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Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Panasonic GH3 and the Sony RX100 II? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

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Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3:

  • Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (4 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
  • Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.7 stops ISO advantage).
  • Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
  • Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
  • Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
  • 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 shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
  • Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
  • Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
  • More flexible: Accepts interchangeable lenses, so that lens characteristics can be altered.
  • Longer lasting: Can take more shots (540 versus 350) on a single battery charge.
  • Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
  • Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
  • Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in September 2012).

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Arguments in favor of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (20 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 14%.
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1229k vs 614k dots).
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the GH3 necessitates an extra lens.
  • More compact: Is smaller (102x58mm vs 133x93mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
  • Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the GH3).
  • 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 affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
  • More modern: Was introduced somewhat (9 months) more recently.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the GH3 is the clear winner of the match-up (17 : 11 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.

GH3 17:11 RX100 II

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Panasonic GH3 and the Sony RX100 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best Travel-Zoom Camera listings 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 RX100 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
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic GH35/5+ +..79/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 1,299ebay.com
2.
 
Sony RX100 II5/5+ +..79/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2013 749ebay.com
3.
 
Canon G7 X4/5+ +..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2014 699ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-M5 II5/5+ +4.5/581/1005/55/5 Feb 2015 1,099ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-M15/5+ +..84/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2013 1,399ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-M54/5+ +..80/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2012 1,299ebay.com
7.
 
Panasonic G85..+ +..84/1005/54.5/5 Sep 2016 899ebay.com
8.
 
Panasonic GX85/5+..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jul 2015 1,199ebay.com
9.
 
Panasonic GH45/5+ +..85/1005/55/5 Feb 2014 1,499ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic G64/5+ +....5/54.5/5 Apr 2013 599ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic GM13/5+..78/1005/54.5/5 Oct 2013 749ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic G53/5+ +....4.5/54.5/5 Jul 2012 599ebay.com
13.
 
Panasonic GH25/5+ +..79/1004.5/55/5 Sep 2010 899ebay.com
14.
 
Sony ZV-14/5+4/585/1004/54.5/5 May 2020 799ebay.com
15.
 
Sony RX100 VII4.5/5..4/5..4/55/5 Jul 2019 1,199 amazon.com
16.
 
Sony RX100 III5/5+ +..82/1004.5/55/5 May 2014 799ebay.com
17.
 
Sony RX1005/5+ +..78/1004/55/5 Jun 2012 649ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. 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? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications: Panasonic GH3 vs Sony RX100 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 RX100 II
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera Fixed lens compact camera
    Camera Lens Micro Four Thirds lenses 28-100mm f/1.8-4.9
    Launch Date September 2012 June 2013
    Launch Price USD 1,299 USD 749
    Sensor Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony RX100 II
    Sensor Technology CMOS BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor 1" Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
    Sensor Area 224.9 mm2 116.16 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm 15.9 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x 2.7x
    Sensor Resolution 15.9 Megapixels 20 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4608 x 3456 pixels 5472 x 3648 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.76 μm 2.41 μm
    Pixel Density 7.08 MP/cm2 17.18 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60p Video 1080/60p Video
    ISO Setting 200 - 12,800 ISO 100 - 12,800 ISO
    ISO Boost 125 - 25,600 ISO 100 - 25,600 ISO
    Image Processor Venus VII FHD BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 71 67
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.7 22.5
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.4 12.4
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 812 483
    Screen Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony RX100 II
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder Viewfinder optional
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.67x
    Viewfinder Resolution 1746k 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 RX100 II
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking FeatureFocus Peaking
    Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) 1/4000s 1/2000s
    Continuous Shooting 6 shutter flaps/s 10 shutter flaps/s
    Electronic ShutterYESno E-Shutter
    Time-Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer built-inno Intervalometer
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash Built-in 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 no
    Connectivity Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony RX100 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 no MIC socket
    Headphone Socket Headphone port no Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication no NFC NFC built-in
    Body Specs Panasonic GH3 Sony RX100 II
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed bodynot weather sealed
    Battery Type Panasonic DMW-BLF19 Sony NP-BX1
    Battery Life (CIPA)540 shots per charge350 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)
    102 x 58 x 38 mm
    (4.0 x 2.3 x 1.5 in)
    Camera Weight 550 g (19.4 oz) 281 g (9.9 oz)
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    Check GH3 offers at
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    Check RX100 II offers at
    ebay.com

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