Panasonic FZ100 vs Panasonic ZS100

Below is a thorough review of the Panasonic FZ100 vs Panasonic ZS100, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both are produced by Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the FZ100 (14MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the FZ100 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The FZ100 was brought out 6 years before the ZS100 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FZ100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the FZ100 grades versus the ZS100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ100 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FZ100 has got external dimensions of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") having a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FZ100 vs Panasonic ZS100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the FZ100 and the ZS100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the FZ100 and ZS100 is 67 and 87 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements simply by going over technical specs. The visual here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ100 and ZS100.

As you have seen, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The FZ100 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic ZS100 will offer greater detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older FZ100 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.