Nikon S30 vs Panasonic ZS8

The following is a thorough assessment of the Nikon S30 versus Panasonic ZS8, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the S30 (10MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the S30 (1/3") and ZS8 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The S30 was announced 7 months after the ZS8 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the S30 grades against the ZS8 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S30 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The whole galleries are viewable at Nikon S30 Gallery & Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Nikon S30 enjoys outside measurements of 102mm x 65mm x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6") with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS8 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon S30 versus Panasonic ZS8 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the S30 against the ZS8.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S30 and ZS8 is 90 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The image below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S30 and ZS8.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S30 with its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Panasonic ZS8 will offer you more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The fresher S30 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.