Nikon L100 vs Panasonic SZ7

On this page, we will be evaluating the Nikon L100 and Panasonic SZ7, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the L100 (10MP) and SZ7 (14MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The L100 was revealed 3 years before the SZ7 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a brief summation of how the L100 matches up vs the SZ7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix L100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7. The full galleries are viewable at Nikon L100 Gallery and Panasonic SZ7 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Nikon L100 has outer dimensions of 110mm x 72mm x 78mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 360 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ7 has specifications of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Examine the Nikon L100 and Panasonic SZ7 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the L100 against the SZ7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L100 and SZ7 is 79 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through specs. The visual underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the L100 and SZ7.

All in all, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same megapixels. You should count on the Panasonic SZ7 to give you more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The older L100 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.