Nikon P500 vs Panasonic ZS40

Its time to take a deeper look at the Nikon P500 and Panasonic ZS40, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the P500 (12MP) and ZS40 (18MP) but they possess the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The P500 was launched 3 years earlier than the ZS40 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Nikon P500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the P500 scores against the ZS40 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix P500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The complete galleries are available at Nikon P500 Gallery & Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Nikon P500 enjoys physical dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 103mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 4.1") having a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS40 has specifications of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

See the Nikon P500 and Panasonic ZS40 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the P500 and the ZS40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P500 and ZS40 is 67 and 90 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to envision the contrast between sensor sizing just by looking at specifications. The visual below will help give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the P500 and ZS40.

To sum up, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Panasonic ZS40 to resolve more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older P500 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.