Panasonic FZ1000 vs Panasonic ZS3

Lets take a closer look at the Panasonic FZ1000 and Panasonic ZS3, one is a Large Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the FZ1000 (20MP) and ZS3 (10MP) and the FZ1000 (1") and ZS3 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The FZ1000 was unveiled 5 years after the ZS3 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a short summation of how the FZ1000 scores against the ZS3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery and Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ1000 features exterior measurements of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") having a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS3 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic FZ1000 and Panasonic ZS3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the FZ1000 and the ZS3.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the FZ1000 and ZS3 is 55 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through specs. The pic underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the FZ1000 and ZS3.

All in all, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FZ1000 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FZ1000 will give more detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The fresher FZ1000 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.