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Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3

Portability
69
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Canon PowerShot SX520 HS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 front
Portability
94
Imaging
36
Features
26
Overall
32

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Key Specs

Canon SX520 HS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1008mm (F3.4-6.0) lens
  • 441g - 120 x 82 x 92mm
  • Released July 2014
  • Replaced the Canon SX510 HS
  • Replacement is Canon SX530 HS
Panasonic ZR3
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-200mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 159g - 98 x 55 x 26mm
  • Introduced January 2010
  • Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-ZX3
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Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Overview

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Canon SX520 HS and Panasonic ZR3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Canon and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SX520 HS (16MP) and the ZR3 (14MP) is pretty comparable and they use the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SX520 HS was manufactured 4 years after the ZR3 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the SX520 HS grades versus the ZR3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Canon SX520 HS over the Panasonic ZR3

 SX520 HS ZR3 
IntroducedJuly 2014January 2010Newer by 55 months
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution461k230kSharper screen (+231k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZR3 over the Canon SX520 HS

 ZR3 SX520 HS 

Common features in the Canon SX520 HS and Panasonic ZR3

 SX520 HS ZR3 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither offers Touch friendly screen

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon SX520 HS offers exterior measurements of 120mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") with a weight of 441 grams (0.97 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR3 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check the Canon SX520 HS and Panasonic ZR3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the SX520 HS against the ZR3.

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the SX520 HS and ZR3 is 69 and 94 respectively.

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 top view buttons comparison

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very hard to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions merely by seeing a spec sheet. The image below might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SX520 HS and ZR3.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You should expect the Canon SX520 HS to provide extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The fresher SX520 HS provides a benefit in sensor tech.

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 sensor size comparison

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Portrait photography info
Panasonic ZR3 Portrait photography info
44
you can focus manually
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
provides face detect autofocus
no external flash support
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
28
decent megapixels (14MP)
lack of manual focus
manual mode not available
cannot use external flash
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Canon SX520 HS
Street photography with Panasonic ZR3
46
has image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
56
image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Canon SX520 HS
Sports photography with Panasonic ZR3
45
great zoom range (24-1008mm 42.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
provides tracking focus
very slow continuous shooting (2.0 fps)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
terrible battery (210 per charge)
has no phase detect autofocus
36
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (14MP)
provides tracking autofocus
low max shutter speed (1/1,300 seconds)
slow frames per second (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Travel photography information
Panasonic ZR3 Travel photography information
55
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
reasonably wide (24mm)
long zoom (1008mm)
lack of Timelapse function
terrible battery (210 shots)
screen isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.4)
64
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
really wide (25mm)
does not have Timelapse mode
does not have a selfie friendly screen
slow max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Landscape photography information
Panasonic ZR3 Landscape photography information
45
you can focus manually
reasonably wide (24mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.4)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
terrible battery (210 shots)
lack of Timelapse function
37
really wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7")
manual mode not available
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
does not have Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon SX520 HS Vlogging info
Panasonic ZR3 Vlogging info
29
reasonably wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detect autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
slow max aperture (f3.4)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of microphone support
29
really wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have external microphone support
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Canon SX520 HS vs Panasonic ZR3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SX520 HS and Panasonic ZR3
 Canon PowerShot SX520 HSPanasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Panasonic
Model type Canon PowerShot SX520 HS Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3
Also called - Lumix DMC-ZX3
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Released 2014-07-29 2010-01-26
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by Digic 4+ Venus Engine HD II
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 4320 x 3240
Max native ISO 3200 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW files
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 9 11
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 24-1008mm (42.0x) 25-200mm (8.0x)
Max aperture f/3.4-6.0 f/3.3-5.9
Macro focusing range 0cm 3cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.9
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inch 2.7 inch
Screen resolution 461 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 15 seconds 60 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/1300 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 2.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 5.50 m 5.30 m
Flash options Auto, on, off, slow synchro Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD Lite
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 441g (0.97 lbs) 159g (0.35 lbs)
Dimensions 120 x 82 x 92mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 3.6") 98 x 55 x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 210 shots -
Battery style Battery Pack -
Battery ID NB-6LH -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots One One
Launch cost $219 $280