Panasonic FX78 vs Panasonic LZ40

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Panasonic FX78 and Panasonic LZ40, 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 crucial gap among the image resolutions of the FX78 (12MP) and LZ40 (20MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The FX78 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the LZ40 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the FX78 grades versus the LZ40 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FX78 Gallery and Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FX78 features physical measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") along with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LZ40 has proportions of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") with a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

See the Panasonic FX78 and Panasonic LZ40 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is the front view size comparison of the FX78 vs the LZ40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FX78 and LZ40 is 95 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements merely by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the FX78 and LZ40.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You should expect the Panasonic LZ40 to provide you with extra detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older FX78 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.