Nikon P500 vs Panasonic LX3

Following is a thorough analysis of the Nikon P500 and Panasonic LX3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Nikon and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the P500 (12MP) and the LX3 (10MP) is very comparable but the P500 (1/2.3") and LX3 (1/1.63") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The P500 was announced 2 years after the LX3 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon P500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a quick overview of how the P500 grades vs the LX3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon Coolpix P500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon P500 Gallery and Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Nikon P500 has exterior dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 103mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 4.1") accompanied by a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX3 has dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Examine the Nikon P500 and Panasonic LX3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the P500 versus the LX3.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the P500 and LX3 is 67 and 91 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizes only by seeing specs. The picture below will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the P500 and LX3.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The P500 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Nikon P500 will produce extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The younger P500 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.