• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.1 megapixels
  •  
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Panasonic GF1 advantages over Sony NEX-6

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Fast startup
    ~1.40 vs 2.0 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • More telephoto lens reach
    90 mm vs 75 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony NEX-6 advantages over Panasonic GF1

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • Better color depth
    23.7 vs 21.2 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,018 vs 513 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.1 vs 10.3 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    922k vs 460k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • Less shutter lag
    0.26 vs 0.41 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    16.1 vs 12.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Wider angle kit lens
    24 mm vs 28 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    9.7 fps vs 2.9 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 3200 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Tiltable Screen
    Both provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • External Mic Jack
    Neither provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony NEX-6

Review Excerpt

  • Very good image quality; More consumer-friendly control setup than NEX-7 but more advanced (actual Mode dial) than step-down models; OLED EVF and 3-inch tilting LCD monitor provide viewfinder flexibility; Fast and decisive AF on stationary subjects, and good continuous AF on normal moving subjects; Full HD 1080p video recording at up to 60p.

  • Hybrid AF system speed and accuracy still lags somewhat behind higher-end DSLRs; Wi-Fi features still rudimentary (join the club); LCD is not a touchscreen; User interface foibles.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-P1

Panasonic GF1
Olympus E-P1
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Fast startup
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Higher extended ISO
Sony NEX-6
Olympus E-P1
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Lens selection

Compared to Panasonic GF2

Panasonic GF1
Panasonic GF2
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • Bulb shutter
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
Sony NEX-6
Panasonic GF2
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Panasonic GF3

Panasonic GF1
Panasonic GF3
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Fast startup
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
Sony NEX-6
Panasonic GF3
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Sony NEX-F3

Panasonic GF1
Sony NEX-F3
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Shoots 60p video
  • $600
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Larger sensor
Sony NEX-6
Sony NEX-F3
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • $600
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony NEX-5R

Panasonic GF1
Sony NEX-5R
  • $900
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Internal flash
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
Sony NEX-6
Sony NEX-5R
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
Compare Other Cameras?