Canon SX720 HS vs Panasonic ZS5

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Canon SX720 HS and Panasonic ZS5, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Canon and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the SX720 HS (20.3MP) and ZS5 (12MP) but they possess the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SX720 HS was brought out 5 years later than the ZS5 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the SX720 HS scores against the ZS5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX720 HS and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The entire galleries are provided at Canon SX720 HS Gallery and Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Canon SX720 HS offers external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS5 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX720 HS and Panasonic ZS5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the SX720 HS compared to the ZS5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX720 HS and ZS5 is 89 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to see the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing specifications. The graphic below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SX720 HS and ZS5.

To sum up, both of those cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Canon SX720 HS to provide greater detail having its extra 8.3 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more recent SX720 HS will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.