Panasonic FX78 vs Panasonic ZS100

Below is a thorough assessment of the Panasonic FX78 and Panasonic ZS100, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are created by Panasonic. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the FX78 (12MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the FX78 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FX78 was announced 6 years prior to the ZS100 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FX78 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short overview of how the FX78 grades vs the ZS100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FX78 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FX78 comes with exterior measurements of 100mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS100 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check the Panasonic FX78 and Panasonic ZS100 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the FX78 against the ZS100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FX78 and ZS100 is 95 and 87 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through specifications. The graphic below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the FX78 and ZS100.

To sum up, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FX78 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic ZS100 will show more detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The older FX78 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.