Canon S100 vs Panasonic ZS80

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Canon S100 vs Panasonic ZS80, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Canon and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the S100 (12MP) and ZS80 (20MP) and the S100 (1/1.7") and ZS80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The S100 was manufactured 7 years prior to the ZS80 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the S100 matches up against the ZS80 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot S100 and Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The entire galleries are available at Canon S100 Gallery and Panasonic ZS80 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and measurements. The Canon S100 offers outside dimensions of 99mm x 60mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS80 has proportions of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") and a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon S100 vs Panasonic ZS80 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the S100 compared to the ZS80.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S100 and ZS80 is 93 and 86 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes merely by researching technical specs. The image below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the S100 and ZS80.

As you can tell, the two cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The S100 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged S100 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.