Panasonic 3D1 vs Panasonic FZ80

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic 3D1 vs Panasonic FZ80, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the 3D1 (12MP) and FZ80 (18MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The 3D1 was revealed 6 years earlier than the FZ80 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic 3D1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the 3D1 matches up vs the FZ80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic 3D1 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic 3D1 offers outside dimensions of 108mm x 58mm x 24mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ80 has dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") and a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic 3D1 vs Panasonic FZ80 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the 3D1 versus the FZ80.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 3D1 and FZ80 is 93 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The graphic here might give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the 3D1 and FZ80.

As you can see, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Panasonic FZ80 to resolve more detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The older 3D1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.