Nikon D300 vs Panasonic ZS20

Let's take a deeper look at the Nikon D300 and Panasonic ZS20, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Nikon and Panasonic. The image resolution of the D300 (12MP) and the ZS20 (14MP) is very comparable but the D300 (APS-C) and ZS20 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The D300 was brought out 5 years earlier than the ZS20 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Nikon D300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the D300 matches up versus the ZS20 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon D300 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The entire galleries are viewable at Nikon D300 Gallery & Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D300 features external measurements of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") with a weight of 925 grams (2.04 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS20 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Compare the Nikon D300 and Panasonic ZS20 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the D300 versus the ZS20.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the D300 and ZS20 is 55 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The photograph here will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the D300 and ZS20.

As you can tell, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The D300 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS20 will provide extra detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos far more aggressively. The older D300 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.