Nikon S30 vs Panasonic ZS70

In this article, we are contrasting the Nikon S30 and Panasonic ZS70, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the S30 (10MP) and ZS70 (20MP) and the S30 (1/3") and ZS70 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizes.

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The S30 was announced 6 years earlier than the ZS70 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summary of how the S30 grades versus the ZS70 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix S30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70. The whole galleries are available at Nikon S30 Gallery and Panasonic ZS70 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Nikon S30 has got exterior measurements of 102mm x 65mm x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS70 has sizing of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") having a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs).

Analyze the Nikon S30 and Panasonic ZS70 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the S30 vs the ZS70.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S30 and ZS70 is 90 and 87 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through technical specs. The graphic here might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the S30 and ZS70.

As you have seen, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The S30 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS70 will show more detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older S30 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.