Panasonic GH3 vs Canon 80D

Cameras
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Panasonic GH3 vs Canon 80D

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Panasonic GH3 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the GH3.

APS-C 337.5mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 80D Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 80D in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 80D.
Compare Canon 80D image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 80D conclusion.

Succeeded by the Panasonic GH4
Compare GH3 vs GH4

Succeeded by the Canon 90D
Compare 80D vs 90D

Compare PANASONIC GH4 vs CANON 90D

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Differences

Panasonic GH3 advantages over Canon 80D

More viewfinder magnification
0.67x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 53 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Canon 80D advantages over Panasonic GH3

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 0.8 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
80D test data on DxO Mark GH3 test data on DxO Mark

1,135 vs 812 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

960 vs 540 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Higher-res screen
347k vs 205k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.08 vs 0.21 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Faster JPEG shooting
6.8 fps vs 6.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.7 fps vs 5.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Tilt-swivel screen
Both provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read GH3 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read 80D User Reviews

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Buy the Panasonic GH3

Body Only

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Buy the Canon 80D

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

Review Excerpt

Professional quality video in a compact body; Still image quality ranks with the best mirrorless models and even some prosumer DSLRs; Fast autofocus; Rugged, weatherized camera build; Reasonably priced for its advanced feature set; Large selection of high quality lenses.
Not as compact as most mirrorless cameras; Live View not available during high speed bursts; High ISO image quality and dynamic range not quite as good as top APS-C cameras.
Read our Panasonic GH3 Review

Very good image quality; Better RAW high ISO performance than predecessor; Improved buffer depth; Very fast AF; Dual Pixel CMOS AF is excellent; f/8 AF support; 1080/60p video; Headphone jack; Very good battery life.
New kit lens isn't very sharp; No 4K video; No clean HDMI out; 29:59 minute video recording limit; Phase detect AF not as sensitive in low-light as expected (Dual Pixel AF is better in low-light).
Read our Canon 80D Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH3

Olympus E-M1

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Longer stills battery life

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Olympus E-M1

Canon 80D

Olympus E-M1

$935
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$1099
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 80D vs Olympus E-M1

Compared to Panasonic GH4

Panasonic GH3

Panasonic GH4

$798
4/3

$998
4/3

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic GH4

Canon 80D

Panasonic GH4

$935
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

$998
4/3

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon 80D vs Panasonic GH4

Compared to Nikon D7200

Panasonic GH3

Nikon D7200

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$1043
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Nikon D7200

Canon 80D

Nikon D7200

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1043
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
More dynamic range

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Panasonic G7

Panasonic GH3

Panasonic G7

$798
4/3

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$665
4/3

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic G7

Canon 80D

Panasonic G7

$935
APS-C

Larger sensor
Fast startup

$665
4/3

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 80D vs Panasonic G7

Compared to Nikon D7500

Panasonic GH3

Nikon D7500

$798
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Has anti-aliasing filter

$930
APS-C

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

Compare Panasonic GH3 vs Nikon D7500

Canon 80D

Nikon D7500

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$930
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7500

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