Canon ELPH 500 HS vs Panasonic ZS45

In this article, we will be contrasting the Canon ELPH 500 HS vs Panasonic ZS45, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Canon and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the ELPH 500 HS (12MP) and ZS45 (16MP) but they feature the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The ELPH 500 HS was unveiled 4 years prior to the ZS45 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the ELPH 500 HS scores vs the ZS45 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Canon ELPH 500 HS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The full galleries are available at Canon ELPH 500 HS Gallery and Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and measurements. The Canon ELPH 500 HS comes with outside dimensions of 101mm x 56mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS45 has proportions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon ELPH 500 HS vs Panasonic ZS45 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the ELPH 500 HS against the ZS45.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the ELPH 500 HS and ZS45 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Often, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing simply by viewing specs. The visual below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ELPH 500 HS and ZS45.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You should expect the Panasonic ZS45 to render greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The older ELPH 500 HS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.