Clicky

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15

Portability
52
Imaging
43
Features
70
Overall
53
Nikon Coolpix P950 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 front
Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
37
Overall
36

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Key Specs

Nikon P950
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-2000mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 1005g - 140 x 110 x 150mm
  • Announced January 2020
Panasonic ZS15
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 208g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
  • Released June 2012
  • Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-TZ25
  • New Model is Panasonic ZS20
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Overview

Below is a extensive review of the Nikon P950 and Panasonic ZS15, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by companies Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the P950 (16MP) and ZS15 (12MP) but they use the same exact sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

The P950 was introduced 7 years later than the ZS15 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Nikon P950 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the P950 grades versus the ZS15 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Nikon P950 over the Panasonic ZS15

 P950 ZS15 
ReleasedJanuary 2020June 2012More recent by 92 months
Manual focus Very precise focus
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen sizing3.2"3"Bigger screen (+0.2")
Screen resolution921k460kSharper screen (+461k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS15 over the Nikon P950

 ZS15 P950 

Common features in the Nikon P950 and Panasonic ZS15

 P950 ZS15 
Touch screen No Touch screen

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Physical Comparison

If you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Nikon P950 comes with physical measurements of 140mm x 110mm x 150mm (5.5" x 4.3" x 5.9") with a weight of 1005 grams (2.22 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Check out the Nikon P950 and Panasonic ZS15 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the P950 against the ZS15.

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P950 and ZS15 is 52 and 92 respectively.

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 top view buttons comparison

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The photograph here will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the P950 and ZS15.

As you have seen, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You should expect the Nikon P950 to offer you greater detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more recent P950 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 sensor size comparison

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Nikon P950
Portrait photography with Panasonic ZS15
57
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
offers face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
small sensor (1/2.3")
21
lack of manual focus
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Street Comparison

Nikon P950 Street photography features
Panasonic ZS15 Street photography features
53
fully articulated screen
image stabilization (Optical)
saves RAW formats
small sensor (1/2.3")
heavier than competitors (1,005g)
61
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average in class (208 grams)
no articulating screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Sports Comparison

Nikon P950 Sports photography highlights
Panasonic ZS15 Sports photography highlights
54
great zoom range (24-2000mm 83.3 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
offers tracking autofocus
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
36
excellent zoom range (24-384mm 16.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
comes with tracking autofocus
max fps very slow (2.0 frames per second)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
terrible battery pack (260 per charge)
has no phase detect auto focus
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Nikon P950 Travel photography details
Panasonic ZS15 Travel photography details
59
connects via bluetooth
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
built-in flash
selfie friendly display
really wide (24mm)
long reach (2000mm)
heavier than competitors (1,005g)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
61
lighter than average in class (208 grams)
has built in flash
quite wide (24mm)
great reach (384mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
terrible battery pack (260 shots)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Landscape Comparison

Nikon P950 Landscape photography details
Panasonic ZS15 Landscape photography details
55
focusing manually
really wide (24mm)
screen is a decent size (3.2")
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
saves RAW formats
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small sensor (1/2.3")
37
quite wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
terrible battery pack (260 CIPA)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon P950 Vlogging info
Panasonic ZS15 Vlogging info
59
really wide (24mm)
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detection focusing
video res high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
does have external mic support
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
heavier than competitors (1,005 grams)
33
quite wide (24mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average in class (208 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
display is not selfie friendly
doesn't have external microphone port
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Nikon P950 vs Panasonic ZS15 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon P950 and Panasonic ZS15
 Nikon Coolpix P950Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15
General Information
Brand Name Nikon Panasonic
Model type Nikon Coolpix P950 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15
Also called as - Lumix DMC-TZ25
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2020-01-07 2012-06-29
Body design SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points - 23
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 24-2000mm (83.3x) 24-384mm (16.0x)
Largest aperture f/2.8-6.5 f/3.3-5.9
Macro focusing range 1cm 3cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3.2 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 921k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,359k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 90 percent -
Features
Min shutter speed 300 seconds 15 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 7.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 11.50 m (at Auto ISO) 6.40 m
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MP4, H.264, AAC3840 x 2160 @ 25p, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MP4, H.264, AAC 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 3840x2160 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB EN-EL20a lithium-ion battery & USB charger USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 1005 grams (2.22 lb) 208 grams (0.46 lb)
Dimensions 140 x 110 x 150mm (5.5" x 4.3" x 5.9") 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 290 photos 260 photos
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots One One
Pricing at release $797 $279