- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Sony NEX-5N
- Nikon D3100
- Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100
- Canon Powershot S100
- Nikon 1 V1
Rated 75% by by DPReview (Jul, 2011)The headline feature of the G3 is its 16MP sensor; providing the highest pixel count among Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 compared to the Canon PowerShot G12
MP15.8
Four Thirds
Rated 100% by by Photography Blog (May, 2011)In addition to its small size, the Panasonic G3 features a brand new 16 megapixel Live MOS sensor with 15.8 effective megapixels, the so-called Light Speed Auto Focus System that delivers a 0.18 focus speed with the 14-42mm lens, and a 3 inch articulated LCD that provides touch-based functions like Touch AF/AE and Touch Shutter.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 15.8 MP   | 20 MP |
Lumix DMC-G3 by Photography Blog (May, 2011)Can the G3 also take great images with its new 15.8 megapixel Live MOS sensor?
PowerShot G12 by The-Doon (Mar, 2011)As a knowledgeable amateur photographer my dream camera will be a 5" X 4" X 1/8" frameless camera with super hi resolution detachable wireless LCD display, 36 Megapixel extreme low light sensor, 18 to 480 zoom lens which does not extend beyond the body of the camera through it's full range, full resolution Raw shooting of 20-30.
sensor size
Lumix DMC-G3 by Photography Blog (May, 2011)Recent DSLR users probably won't be impressed by this feat, but in the world of Micro Four Thirds it's a big advancement.
PowerShot G12 by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)Headline features include an image stabilised 5x optical zoom with a focal range equivalent to 28-140mm, and a relatively large 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor - smaller than the APS-C sized chip in a DSLR but large for a compact – providing 10 million pixels.
body size
115 x 84 x 47 mm
112 x 76 x 48 mm
Lumix DMC-G3 by Luis-Vergani (Apr, 2012)The G3 is good: lightweight, nice electronic through the lens view, nearly instantenous shots, good controls.
PowerShot G12 by Luis-GPI bought the G12 because my "serious" bag with the 30D and all the heavy lenses and flashes has grown too big and expensive for travel and everyday tasks, not to mention intimidating to others.
Performance Real world tests of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 vs Canon PowerShot G12
shutter lag
Lumix DMC-G3 by DPReview (Jul, 2011)While you can capture the still image with either a press of the shutter button or using the Touch Shutter, the latter method, as we noted earlier, introduces an additional shutter lag that essentially doubles the time gap between the finger press and recording an image.
PowerShot G12 by raphael (Jan, 2011)The Quick Shot setting lessens the shutter lag a bit but the shutter lag is so short anyway that I don't use this setting much.
battery life
270 photos
350 photos
Lumix DMC-G3 by Photography Blog (May, 2011)The G3 manages just over 250 shots using the supplied DMW -BLD10E 7.2V 1010mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery, a 100 shot reduction on the 350 shot life offered by the G2.
PowerShot G12 by Jeffrey-K.-Ericson (Jan, 2011)The photos are fabulous, the battery life is amazing, even with lots of flashes, and the ability to quickly and accurately set manual or program settings is actually easier than on the Nikon!
max continuous shooting
Lumix DMC-G3 by Photography Blog (May, 2011)The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 has a pretty good Burst mode which enables you to take 4 frames per second for an unlimited number of JPEG images at the highest image quality, or 7 RAW images.
PowerShot G12 by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)Admittedly, however, a continuous shooting speed of up to 4.2 frames per second for action shots is better than most entry level DSLRs.
DxOMark low light performance
Lumix DMC-G3 by A.-Gilchrist--LeMarais (Jul, 2011)The picture quality is excellent (even in low light/indoor situations), it's very easy to use (just common sense), no navigating through a complex menu, lightweight, love the easy zoom-in during video mode and flip feature of the monitor.
PowerShot G12 by Hal-B.-Zenner (Aug, 2012)Using the low light setting (the one with the candle icon), I was able to take decent pictures with good color and acceptable sharpness.
DxOMark image quality
Lumix DMC-G3 by DPReview (Jul, 2011)The ability to capture 20fps, at image quality more than suitable for the web, from a camera in this price range is impressive.
PowerShot G12 by Beth-A.-Ashman--bashman (Jul, 2011)The picture quality is amazingly clear and crisp and the color is superb as well.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Canon PowerShot G12
| Larger sensor | Four Thirds | vs | 1/1.7" |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 5x larger sensor; higher quality photos | |||
| Has a touch screen | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Fewer buttons, interact directly with menus | |||
| Interchangeable lenses | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Use a variety of specialized lenses | |||
| Create realistic 3D images | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV | |||
| Significantly higher resolution | 15.8 MP | vs | 10 MP |
| Around 60% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Better overall image quality | 56.0 | vs | 47.0 |
| Around 20% better image quality | |||
| Larger screen | 3" | vs | 2.8" |
| Around 10% larger screen | |||
| Significantly less startup delay | 1,400 ms | vs | 2,700 ms |
| Around 50% less startup delay; Be ready for anything | |||
| Higher definition video | HD video | vs | HD video |
| Great video; great for displaying on a large flat panel TV | |||
| Less noise at high ISO | 667 ISO | vs | 161 ISO |
| More than 4x higher low light performance | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | May, 2011 | vs | Sep, 2010 |
| Announced date 8 months later | |||
| Slightly faster rapid fire | 4 fps | vs | 2 fps |
| 2x faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| More highly reviewed by consumers | 85.45% | vs | 81.78% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Significantly longer long exposure | 60 s | vs | 15 s |
| 4x longer long exposure; Capture creative photos such as night sky movement | |||
| Lighter | 336 g | vs | 401 g |
| Around 20% lighter | |||
Advantages compared to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
| Image stabilization | Optical | vs | None |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supports image stabilization | |||
| Shoots video in 24p | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; For that film look | |||
| Supports HDR | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas | |||
| Better dynamic range | 11.2 ev | vs | 10.6 ev |
| Around 10% better dynamic range | |||
| More photos per charge | 350 | vs | 270 |
| 80 more shots; Longer battery life | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Canon PowerShot G12 | ||
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 | Rated by 72 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by B.-Fuller Rated 100% by by James-T.-Parsons (Oct, 2011) Rated 100% by by Canonicus--Canonicus (Oct, 2012) | Rated by 334 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Talltexan--Talltexan (Dec, 2010) Rated 100% by by Talltexan--Talltexan (Dec, 2010) Rated 100% by by HRS--HRS (Mar, 2011) | |
viewfinder
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 80% by by GladiusI love the size of the S95 and the speed of the lens at the wide end but the G12 has a great battery (bigger), doesn't get warm (video), has an articulating LCD, and a viewfinder (not a good one but better than nothing).
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 80% by by ThomasHCompared to such EVF's the optical viewfinders in G12 or P7000 are superior.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by Juan-Grande (Dec, 2012)The G3 has wonderful ergonomics for advance camera usage, an excellent electronic viewfinder and a nifty articulating screen with touch function abilities( touch focus and shoot is awesome)!
size
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by mavn--Rand-Fan (Nov, 2011)The G3 is NO Canon 5D2, BUT it is very convenient and the images are very good compared to what most lightweight cameras can do.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by Canonicus--Canonicus (Oct, 2012)If bulk and weight were not an issue, I would probably have stayed with Canon (upgraded to T4i/650d) but I really wanted to downsize and I give the G3 a highly recommended score.
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 100% by by Dawn-M.-Brooks (Apr, 2012)I would recommend the G12 to anyone who wants a lightweight, portable camera that gives awesome results.
iso
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 80% by by Lilly (Feb, 2012)The noise levels are pretty good at higher ISO's and I am satisfied with the G3s handling of noise.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by T-Boyer--seattleparent+-2). The G3 expands that to a full f-stop per bracket for a total +-3, and to that you add greatly improved high-ISO performance.
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 73% by by DPReview (Jan, 2011)The G12 has a higher resolution movie mode (and thereby becomes the first G-series camera to ofer HD video), a built-in electronic spirit level, and also offers both in-camera HDR and ISO expansion up to ISO 12,800 (equivalent) at 2.5MP.In-camera HDR.
sensor
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 100% by by Moreno-Tagliapietra--fine-art-photography (Jan, 2011)I can make enlargements around 16x20" from the G12 with ISO 800 pics in good light and ISO400 in low light (in Raw format and proper processing in Camera Raw).
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2010)The new Auto ISO feature allows the maximum ISO speed to be set, therefore specifying what ISO range the G12 will use if you leave it up to its own devices.
Canon PowerShot G12 | Rated 80% by by ThomasHWhen you stay with no more than ISO 800, the G12 produces very nice results, in many cases completely competitive with any older DSLR of 10Mpix resolution.
lens
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by P.-Chin (Oct, 2011)My travel strategy is to carry this G3 and a Sony HX5V (for its complementary capabilities of GPS, panorama, low light, pocket size and zoom range).
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by Juan-Grande (Dec, 2012)These lenses w/ the G3 are equal in every way to that previous system( not the same focal length) except I actually take them, in a small shoulder bag, everywhere!
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | Rated 100% by by rsb133 (Apr, 2012)I got the G3 with kit lens and the 45-200mm telephoto.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony NEX-5N Largest sensor |
 | 2 | Nikon D3100 Fastest to start up |
 | 3 | Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 Highest resolution screen |
 | 5 | Nikon 1 V1 Fastest rapid fire mode |
 | 6 | Canon EOS 600D OK viewfinder |
