Canon SX70 HS vs Panasonic ZS80: A Deep Dive Into Small Sensor Superzoom Cameras

When I first picked up the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS and the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80, I recognized these two as compelling options in the crowded small sensor superzoom category. Both hit the market around 2018, aiming to serve enthusiasts looking for ultra-zoom flexibility without the size and complexity of interchangeable lens rigs. Over weeks of testing, in diverse shooting scenarios - landscapes, wildlife, street photography, even some video - I’ve developed a solid sense of where each shines or falls short. This comparison draws on hands-on experience, detailed specs analysis, and real-world performance to help you decide which camera fits your style and budget.

Let’s start by unpacking their core designs before jumping into how they perform across different photography disciplines.

Size, Handling, and Controls: Ergonomics Matter

The Canon SX70 HS and Panasonic ZS80 differ quite a bit in physical presence and how they feel in the hand - a crucial factor for extended shooting sessions.

Right out of the gate, you can see the Canon SX70 HS (127 x 91 x 117 mm, 608 grams) offers a robust, bridge-style SLR-like body, while the Panasonic ZS80 (112 x 69 x 42 mm, 327 grams) sticks to a compact, pocketable form factor. That nearly half-the-weight difference really translates on the street or while traveling.

The SX70 features a deep grip, more dedicated buttons, and a substantial, thumb-friendly rear dial. It’s designed for photographers who appreciate tactile controls over touch reliance - note it lacks touchscreen functionality. The Canon’s fully articulated 3-inch screen is great for creative angles but does not support touch input, which seemed odd given the era it was produced.

Panasonic’s ZS80 is sleeker and more minimalist, with a tilting 3-inch touchscreen (1040K dots) for intuitive navigation and focusing. The ZS80’s interface feels fresh, especially if you value touch-to-focus or quick menu swipes. Its electronic viewfinder (EVF) offers a respectable 0.53x magnification and coverage at 2330 dots, nearly matching the Canon’s EVF in clarity but not size.

Examining control layouts (see next image), I appreciate Canon’s choice to prioritize dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, giving you faster access to key shooting parameters without diving into menus. Panasonic leans more on digital menus with fewer physical controls, which suits casual shooting but might frustrate those used to DSLR-like manual operations.

Personally, if you enjoy a “pro-feel” handheld experience with more direct control, the Canon SX70 HS wins in ergonomics. The Panasonic ZS80 excels in portability and touchscreen convenience.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras use a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor, measuring 6.17 by 4.55 mm (28.07 mm² sensor area) with 20MP resolution (5184 x 3888 pixels). This sensor size is standard for superzoom compacts but imposes limitations on noise performance and dynamic range compared to larger APS-C or full-frame sensors.

Surprisingly, despite their similar sensor stack, these cameras differ in ISO sensitivity range and processing. Canon’s DIGIC 8 processor is newer and generally faster, but Panasonic’s Venus Engine is more mature and includes useful focus stacking and bracketing tools.

In low-light, both max out at ISO 3200 natively, but Panasonic extends to ISO 6400 boosted - albeit with notable noise. In my testing under dim indoor conditions, Panasonic’s images maintained slightly better clarity and less chroma noise than Canon’s, especially when shooting in RAW.

Color reproduction subtly differs; Canon tends toward warmer skin tones, which can flatter portrait subjects, while Panasonic’s palette is cooler with a slight bias to greens and blues in landscapes. Both cameras have an antialiasing filter, so fine detail is somewhat softened, but this reduces moiré artifacts.

In practical terms, if you shoot RAW and rely on post-processing, both provide ample flexibility. JPEG output from both is punchy but will benefit from manual tweaking.

The Zoom Wars: Who Covers More Ground?

Where Canon really flexes its muscle is the insane 65x zoom range (21–1365 mm equivalent), dwarfing Panasonic’s 30x (24–720 mm). That’s nearly double the reach and makes the SX70 HS a clear winner for wildlife, distant architectural details, or birding.

The tradeoff? Canon’s lens is physically larger, slower wide open (f/3.4–6.5 vs. Panasonic’s f/3.3–6.4), and more prone to chromatic aberration at telephoto extremes. Sharpness falls off at extreme zoom with both, but Canon maintains better contrast and detail until the far end.

Panasonic’s shorter zoom is more practical for street shooting and landscapes where maximum reach isn’t critical. The lens offers very close macro focus to 3 cm, compared to Canon’s 0 cm “macro focus range” (which actually means it can focus on subjects extremely close to the lens).

Autofocus and Burst Shooting: Catching the Moment

Accurate and speedy autofocus is critical in real-world shooting, especially for action, wildlife, or street photography. Both cameras use contrast-detection AF systems (no phase detection), with nine focus points on Canon and an unspecified number on Panasonic.

The ZS80 stands out with touch autofocus and face detection that worked consistently well in my experience, tracking moving subjects smoothly in good light. Canon’s AF is reliable but can hunt more noticeably under low contrast or dim conditions. Both offer continuous AF, center-weighted AF modes, plus tracking to accommodate moving subjects.

Both can shoot bursts at 10 fps - commendable for small sensor cameras - but buffer depth and AF responsiveness slightly favor Panasonic for brief sports or wildlife sequences. Canon’s larger buffer means longer bursts before slowdown. My testing with fast-moving subjects found Panasonic slightly more nimble overall.

Viewfinder and Screen: Your Window to the World

The small but sharp EVFs on both cameras allow comfortable composition, even in bright sunlight, a huge bonus over LCD-only compacts.

Canon’s fully articulated screen angles 180 degrees for selfies and creative low or high angle shots. Panasonic’s tilting touchscreen allows flipping up or down but doesn’t rotate sideways, limiting some shooting positions.

If you prefer touch focus and menu navigation, Panasonic leads here. Canon’s screen, though non-touch, performs well under direct sunlight and feels solid.

Image Stabilization and Build Quality: Steady Shots on the Go

Both cameras feature optical image stabilization, essential given such long zooms. Canon and Panasonic’s OIS systems are effective up to around 5 stops, allowing handheld shots even at long focal lengths.

Build quality is similar; both are plastic-bodied with no weather sealing or ruggedization. Neither is waterproof, dustproof, or shockproof, which is typical at this price point but worth noting for adventurous shooters.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long Can You Shoot?

Panasonic offers a slight edge in battery stamina - rated at 380 shots vs. Canon’s 325 per charge - which matters in travel or field sessions without easy recharging.

Both accept SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards (UHS-I supported) through a single slot. Neither offers dual card slots, so be mindful about backup during important shoots.

Video capabilities: Beyond Still Frames

Both record 4K video at 3840 x 2160 resolution, 30p max, but Canon’s bitrate is higher (120 Mbps vs. Panasonic’s unspecified slightly lower rates), theoretically giving better detail retention.

Panasonic offers 4K Photo mode - extracting 8MP stills from 4K footage - great for action or street shooters wanting to pick the perfect moment. Canon lacks this feature.

Neither camera has headphone ports, and Canon is unique here with a microphone input - beneficial for vloggers or serious videographers aiming for good sound.

Both record in MOV or MP4 containers and support H.264 encoding with AAC audio.

Specialized Features: Macro, Night, & Creative Modes

Panasonic wins on macro with a true 3 cm minimum focusing distance, allowing intimate detail capture. It also offers manual focus stacking and focus bracketing - great tools for creative macro and landscape photography. Canon lacks these dedicated features.

For night and astro photography, both offer manual exposures down to 15 seconds (Canon) and 4 seconds (Panasonic), but neither is designed for extreme long exposures found in dedicated astrophotography cameras.

Panasonic includes more customizable white balance bracketing, useful for challenging mixed lighting.

Putting It All Together: Performance Across Photography Genres

To better illustrate, here are performance highlights for each key photography type, with the respective camera scores visualized.

• Portraits: Canon’s warmer color palette and comfortable viewfinder/mode dials give it a slight advantage for skin tones and user control. Panasonic’s touchscreen face detection is also excellent. Both deliver acceptable bokeh given sensor size.
• Landscapes: Panasonic’s cleaner RAW files and focus stacking edges out Canon in dynamic range and detail. Canon’s super zoom is less critical here.
• Wildlife: Canon’s 65x zoom and longer burst buffer make it better suited for distant, fast-moving subjects.
• Sports: Panasonic’s quicker AF response and 10 fps continuous with touch tracking favor it over Canon.
• Street: Panasonic wins with its smaller size, quiet operation, and touchscreen discreetness.
• Macro: Panasonic’s minimum focus distance and stacking features handily outperform Canon.
• Night/Astro: Both limited, but Panasonic’s ISO 6400 boost and longer shutter options offer slight flexibility.
• Video: Canon’s mic input and higher bitrate 4K provide better support for serious users; Panasonic’s 4K Photo mode is a fun, practical addition for casual videographers.
• Travel: Panasonic’s compact size and longer battery life make it the obvious travel companion.
• Professional Work: Neither is really a “pro” tool, but Canon’s file handling and lens versatility approach pro-like usability more closely.

Sample Images Showdown: Detail and Color in Real Scenes

To give you a concrete feel for image quality differences, here’s a side-by-side gallery of samples taken in outdoor daylight, indoor low light, telephoto compression, and macro scenarios.

Canon SX70 HS front Canon SX70 HS screen back Panasonic ZS80 front Panasonic ZS80 screen back

You’ll notice the Canon’s images pop with slightly warmer tones but tend to soften at mega-zoom extremes. Panasonic’s sharper macro shots and better noise control in low light stand out, confirming what specs hinted.

Summarizing Pros and Cons

Who Should Choose Which?

Pick the Canon SX70 HS if:

• Ultra-telephoto reach is your primary concern (birding, distant wildlife, surveillance)
• You prefer DSLR-like controls with immediate manual access
• You want a built-in mic port for better audio in video
• Size and weight are secondary considerations

Go with the Panasonic ZS80 if:

• You want a lightweight, true pocketable zoom camera
• Macro photography and creative focus stacking interest you
• Touchscreen interface with fast, intuitive autofocus appeals
• You shoot plenty of video content with 4K Photo perks
• You need longer battery life for travel

Final Thoughts From My Experience

Having field-tested both, I can say neither camera is a “best of all worlds” solution. The Canon SX70 HS impresses with its gargantuan zoom and traditional control feel but feels bulky and dated in interface. The Panasonic ZS80 is a compact, modern all-rounder focusing on ease of use, video features, and macro.

Both cameras are ideal stepping stones for enthusiasts wanting a superzoom without the investment of a large system camera. However, by 2024 standards, their small sensor limitations are apparent in image noise and dynamic range. For those prioritizing image quality or professional workflow, a good used APS-C or Micro Four Thirds mirrorless with zoom lenses might be better despite lesser zoom reach.

Dear Canon and Panasonic, please consider bringing these superzoom classics into the modern era with touchscreen Canon bodies and bigger sensors on Panasonic’s famed compact formula!

I hope this thorough comparison helps clarify which superzoom fits your shooting style and needs. For ongoing updates and visual samples, see my video review linked above and feel free to comment with your own experiences or questions.

Happy shooting!