Nikon S9700 vs Panasonic FZ300

Lets take a more detailed look at the Nikon S9700 vs Panasonic FZ300, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Nikon and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the S9700 (16MP) and FZ300 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The S9700 was launched 17 months prior to the FZ300 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Nikon S9700 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the S9700 scores versus the FZ300 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S9700 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The complete galleries are viewable at Nikon S9700 Gallery & Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Nikon S9700 enjoys physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 232 grams (0.51 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ300 has specifications of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") along with a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs).

Check out the Nikon S9700 vs Panasonic FZ300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the S9700 compared to the FZ300.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the S9700 and FZ300 is 90 and 59 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to picture the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the S9700 and FZ300.

As you can see, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You can expect the Nikon S9700 to resolve more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older S9700 is going to be behind in sensor technology.