Panasonic FZ2500 vs Panasonic ZS3

Here is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic FZ2500 and Panasonic ZS3, former being a Large Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the FZ2500 (20MP) and ZS3 (10MP) and the FZ2500 (1") and ZS3 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The FZ2500 was unveiled 7 years later than the ZS3 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a thorough comparison, below is a simple view of how the FZ2500 grades against the ZS3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ2500 features external dimensions of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") and a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS3 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Panasonic FZ2500 and Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the FZ2500 versus the ZS3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the FZ2500 and ZS3 is 53 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing just by checking technical specs. The visual underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ2500 and ZS3.

As you have seen, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The FZ2500 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FZ2500 will give you extra detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a little more aggressively. The younger FZ2500 should have a benefit in sensor innovation.