Panasonic FZ300 vs Sony HX80

Here, we will be looking at the Panasonic FZ300 vs Sony HX80, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the resolutions of the FZ300 (12MP) and HX80 (18MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The FZ300 was manufactured 7 months before the HX80 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the FZ300 grades vs the HX80 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ300 Gallery & Sony HX80 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic FZ300 has got physical dimensions of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") and a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs) while the Sony HX80 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic FZ300 vs Sony HX80 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the FZ300 vs the HX80.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the FZ300 and HX80 is 59 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements purely by researching a spec sheet. The graphic here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ300 and HX80.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You can expect the Sony HX80 to result in extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older FZ300 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.