• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 12,800
  • 35mm 847.3mm2
  • 12.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 102,400

Buy From

Differences

Panasonic GH3 advantages over Sony A7S II

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Fast startup
    ~0.80 vs 2.9 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 540 vs 370 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • More pixels
    16.1 vs 12.2 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    6.1 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    Unlimited vs 63 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A7S II advantages over Panasonic GH3

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 8.40 vs 3.75 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,993 vs 812 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • Thinner
    60 mm vs 82 mm
    Thinner
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/250 vs 1/160 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Higher-res screen
    307k vs 205k pixels
    More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.78x vs 0.67x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    409600 vs 25600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • 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

  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility

User reviews

Buy From

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.

  • Comfortable and surprisingly compact camera body; Improved low light performance; Built-in image stabilization; Wide range of usable ISOs; More sophisticated autofocus performance; Excellent video capabilities.

  • Relatively low resolution; Mediocre continuous shooting performance; No built-in flash; No losslessly compressed RAW option.

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic G5

Panasonic GH3
Panasonic G5
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Fast startup
  • $550
  • 4/3
  • Higher-res screen
Sony A7S II
Panasonic G5
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $550
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Olympus E-M1

Panasonic GH3
Olympus E-M1
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $1050
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A7S II
Olympus E-M1
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $1050
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Panasonic GH4

Panasonic GH3
Panasonic GH4
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • Shoot 4K video
Sony A7S II
Panasonic GH4
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Slower slow-motion
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Sony A7S

Panasonic GH3
Sony A7S
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Lens selection
  • $1998
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7S II
Sony A7S
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
  • $1998
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A9

Panasonic GH3
Sony A9
  • $798
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7S II
Sony A9
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Touchscreen
  • Fast startup
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