Casio EX-ZR300 vs Panasonic Lumix ZS70: A Practical, In-Depth Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing between two small sensor superzoom compacts like the Casio EX-ZR300 and Panasonic Lumix ZS70 is never just about spec sheets. I've handled both extensively, putting them through my standard battery of tests - from slow, methodical landscape sessions to sprinting wildlife chases and impromptu street shoots - all to deliver insights that really matter to enthusiasts like you.

Let’s unpack their nuances across the full photographic spectrum, mixing hands-on experience, technical breakdowns, and practical advice so you can zero in on what truly fits your style and needs.

Sizing Up: Ergonomics and Handling in Real Life

When you’re carrying your camera for hours, whether trekking landscapes or wandering city streets, size and ergonomics start dictating your experience more than megapixels or frame rates.

The Casio EX-ZR300 feels delightfully compact and featherlight at 205g, with dimensions of 105 x 59 x 29 mm. It nestles easily in smaller bags or a large coat pocket, making it a low-burden travel companion. But beware: its slim build translates into a bit of a tight grip and limited physical controls.

On the other hand, the Panasonic ZS70, while still compact, is larger and heavier at 322g, measuring 112 x 67 x 41 mm. That extra heft gives it a more reassuring grip, especially when using longer telephoto focal lengths, which can get shaky in light hands. For me, the ZS70’s ergonomics enable steadier framing during active shooting, but it’s slightly less pocketable.

Top-Down Control Layout: How Do They Feel In Your Hands?

Your in-the-field workflow depends on how naturally the camera’s controls fall under your fingers, and whether the interface distracts or empowers.

Casio’s EX-ZR300 opts for a minimalist approach - few dedicated buttons and a simple mode dial dominate the top plate. It keeps things basic: aperture/shutter priority modes are available, but diving into manual tweaking can feel a bit clunky due to limited tactile dials and no touchscreen.

The Panasonic ZS70 embraces a more modern control array, including a well-placed zoom lever, dedicated exposure compensation dial, and a more versatile mode dial. This machine really shines with its touch-enabled LCD, letting you tap to focus and tweak settings quickly - offering a smoother manual control experience.

On a personal note, when shooting fast-moving subjects, I found the ZS70's tactile feedback and touchscreen responsiveness much more intuitive. The Casio’s controls can feel slower, sometimes interrupting the photographic flow.

Sensor and Image Quality: Is Bigger Always Better?

Both cameras pack a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor, but the devil’s in the details - resolution, processing, and lens quality have a significant say in actual image fidelity.

The Casio EX-ZR300 offers 16MP resolution, while the Panasonic ZS70 bumps that up to 20MP. In practical shooting, this 20% pixel increase translates to finer detail and slightly better cropping flexibility - particularly useful when shooting wildlife or landscapes.

However, megapixels tell just part of the story. The Panasonic sources its image processing from the more advanced Venus Engine, which excels at noise control in higher ISO ranges. Casio’s Exilim Engine HS, while competent, cannot quite match its competitor’s ability to suppress noise beyond ISO 800.

Both cameras have anti-aliasing filters, which help reduce moiré but at a slight cost of ultimate sharpness. For portrait or macro work where detail matters hugely, clarify is subtly better on the ZS70.

The Screen and Viewfinder: Windows to Your Creativity

An often overlooked aspect, the quality and usability of the rear screen and viewfinder can significantly impact shooting comfort and precision.

Casio’s fixed 3-inch Super Clear TFT LCD has a modest 461k-dot resolution, which is quite dated by today’s standards. It’s less crisp under bright daylight and lacks touch control altogether. Also, no viewfinder means you’re stuck holding the camera at arm’s length - less stable for telephoto work.

Panasonic ups the ante with a 3-inch tilting touchscreen showing 1040k dots - a substantial upgrade. The touchscreen capability is a delight on the ZS70, speeding up autofocus selection and menu navigation. Moreover, the inclusion of a 1166k-dot electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage is a boon when shooting in bright environments or needing precise composition.

For outdoor use, I always prefer having a good EVF, and Panasonic’s solution here is a standout, lending more confidence to handheld telephoto or street photography.

Zoom Range and Lens Performance: Versatility vs Optical Constraints

These superzooms are all about flexibility, but how the lens balances zoom reach, aperture, and image sharpness makes a big difference in real-world shooting.

The Casio EX-ZR300 sports a 24-300mm equivalent zoom (12.5x), with a maximum aperture range of f/3.0-5.9. It’s a respectable reach for daylight shooting and light telephoto portraits; however, the upper end tends to show softness and lower contrast in my testing.

In contrast, the Panasonic ZS70 impresses with a whopping 24-720mm equivalent zoom (30x), albeit with a slightly narrower aperture range narrowed to f/3.3-6.4. The extended telephoto capability allowed me to isolate distant wildlife subjects effectively, though you’ll want solid image stabilization (more on that soon) to mitigate shake.

Lens sharpness is generally more consistent on the Panasonic across the focal range, thanks partly to updated optics and better processing. But don’t expect professional-grade glass here - both cameras exhibit softness and chromatic aberrations at extremes, typical for superzooms.

Autofocus Systems: How Fast and Accurate Are They?

For photographers in action - wildlife, sports, or even candid street shots - AF speed and accuracy make all the difference. Contrast and phase detection methods, focus point coverage, and tracking algorithms weigh heavily.

The Casio EX-ZR300 uses contrast-detection AF with an unspecified number of focus points. It offers single autofocus and basic tracking, but no face or eye detection. This shows in practice; I noticed hesitation or hunting in low light or busy scenes.

Meanwhile, Panasonic’s ZS70 deploys a more sophisticated contrast detection system with 49 AF points, plus continuous AF and face/eye detection capabilities. Its autofocus has been notably faster and more reliable during my real-life tests, locking swiftly even on moving subjects.

If wildlife or sports is your game, the Panasonic’s autofocus clearly outpaces the Casio’s less advanced system.

Image Stabilization: Holding Steady When It Counts

Superzoom cameras need effective stabilization to counteract magnified hand tremors. Casio offers sensor-shift stabilization, while Panasonic relies on optical stabilization. In my shooting sessions, both systems reduced shake acceptably at mid-range zooms.

However, at long telephoto extents - like 300mm on the Casio or 720mm on the Panasonic - the ZS70’s optical IS system felt more confident, allowing slower shutter speeds without blurry shots. It’s worth remembering that optical IS often outperforms sensor-shift in precision for larger zoom ranges.

Burst Shooting and Shutter: Capturing the Action

Sports and wildlife photographers demand fast and reliable continuous shooting modes. The EX-ZR300 does not specify continuous shooting speed, indicating likely no serious burst mode.

The ZS70 offers a 10 fps continuous shooting rate, which is impressive for a compact superzoom and makes it viable for fast-moving subjects. Its maximum mechanical shutter speed reaches 1/2000s, complemented by a silent electronic shutter allowing exposures up to 1/16000s - useful in bright light or creative effect.

The Casio is better suited for deliberate shooting than fast bursts, whereas Panasonic offers a more flexible tool for action sequences.

Macro and Close-Up Capabilities: Detail Without Additional Gear

If you enjoy macro photography, how close a camera can focus and the resulting image quality matter.

Casio’s EX-ZR300 allows macro focus down to 1 cm - a real strength, enabling remarkable close-ups. However, with no raw support, your control over final image quality from these shots is limited.

Panasonic’s ZS70 has a minimum macro focus distance of 3 cm, still respectable but less aggressive than Casio’s. On the plus side, raw shooting and focus stacking enhance detail and post-processing latitude, making it more appealing for serious macro enthusiasts.

Video: Moving Pictures in Sharp Focus

Video recording is a common requirement, even if secondary. Here, differences are stark.

The Casio EX-ZR300 maxes out at 1080p 30fps video with H.264 encoding, but lacks microphone input and in-body stabilization for video. Slow-motion modes exist but at low resolution - more a curiosity than a professional feature.

The Panasonic ZS70 steps up with 4K UHD video at 30fps, a strong plus for vloggers and hybrid shooters. The camera also offers 1080p at 60fps for smoother motion capture, and 4K photo mode enables extracting high-res stills from video - a versatile tool. While no external mic input may disappoint pros, Panasonic’s 5-axis optical image stabilization keeps footage impressively steady.

For any serious video work, the ZS70 clearly outperforms the EX-ZR300.

Connectivity and Storage: Keeping Pace with Modern Workflows

In an age of quick sharing and remote control, connectivity is more than a convenience.

Casio’s EX-ZR300 supports Eye-Fi wireless cards, allowing some wireless image transfer, but no built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Panasonic’s ZS70 boasts built-in Wi-Fi, enabling remote control via smartphone apps and easy image sharing - a definite advantage in fast-paced scenarios.

Both cameras record to standard SD formats and feature HDMI outputs for playback - no surprises there.

Battery Life and User Endurance

Battery is often underestimated until a shoot runs long - but here, Casio gives you about 500 shots per charge versus Panasonic’s rated 380.

The better life on Casio partly stems from its simpler screen and no EVF, which are power hogs on the ZS70. Still, 380 shots in a compact with EVF and 4K is decent.

Practical note: Always carry spares with either camera, especially if traveling.

Putting It All Together: Performance Ratings and Sample Imagery

For a visual comparison of overall and genre-specific performance, check these carefully compiled charts and sample photos from my workshops and controlled test shoots.

Casio EX ZR300 front Casio EX ZR300 screen back Panasonic ZS70 front

The Panasonic ZS70 produces crisper, more contrasty images, especially at telephoto range. Colors render more naturally, and noise control is more refined under low light.

It scores consistently higher across key metrics - sharper images, better AF, enhanced video.

You can see the ZS70’s clear superiority in sports, wildlife, and video, while the Casio holds competitive ground in macro and travel for those prioritizing size and battery life.

Who Should Buy the Casio EX-ZR300?

• You want an ultra-compact, lightweight superzoom ideal for easy carry on hikes or travel.
• Your photography is casual or macro-focused, prioritizing convenience over advanced features.
• Low budget is a factor - you can find used or discounted EX-ZR300 models at attractive price points.
• You prefer a simpler interface and aren’t bothered by slower autofocus or lacking touchscreen/EVF.
• Battery life is a big deal for you, as this camera shoots longer on a single charge.

Who Should Choose the Panasonic Lumix ZS70?

• You’re serious about photography and videography, needing a balanced camera with strong superzoom versatility.
• Fast autofocus with face/eye detection and continuous shooting are important to you - think wildlife, sports, or street photographers.
• You expect better image quality, especially in challenging light, and want the option of shooting RAW files.
• 4K video, touchscreen control, and an electronic viewfinder enable flexible, professional-like shooting.
• Portability is important, but you are willing to accept a bit more bulk for more capability.

Final Thoughts: Which One Wins?

Both the Casio EX-ZR300 and Panasonic ZS70 carve out niches in the small sensor superzoom space, but personally, I lean strongly toward the Panasonic ZS70 for any photographer who wants not just snapshots, but expressive, high-quality images and videos. Its modern features, superior autofocus, and superior zoom range make it a more versatile and reliable tool.

That said, the Casio EX-ZR300 remains a worthy companion for those valuing compactness, simplicity, and longer battery life over cutting-edge tech. It’s a camera I’d recommend to casual shooters or those on a tight budget looking for solid macro capabilities in a tiny package.

Choosing between these cameras ultimately comes down to your own shooting style and priorities. Need help deciding for your specific needs? Feel free to reach out - I’ve handled both indoors and out, and can guide you toward the camera that will become your favorite creative partner.

Happy shooting!

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