Panasonic FZ40 vs Sony RX10 II

Here is a in depth overview of the Panasonic FZ40 and Sony RX10 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the FZ40 (14MP) and RX10 II (20MP) and the FZ40 (1/2.3") and RX10 II (1") possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The FZ40 was revealed 5 years prior to the RX10 II and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (SLR-like (bridge)).

Before delving through a thorough comparison, below is a concise summation of how the FZ40 matches up versus the RX10 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. The full galleries are available at Panasonic FZ40 Gallery & Sony RX10 II Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic FZ40 has outer dimensions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") having a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs) while the Sony RX10 II has dimensions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") and a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic FZ40 and Sony RX10 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at the time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the FZ40 compared to the RX10 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FZ40 and RX10 II is 68 and 58 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ40 and RX10 II.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The FZ40 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX10 II will render more detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older FZ40 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.