Panasonic L1 vs Panasonic ZS3

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic L1 vs Panasonic ZS3, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the L1 (7MP) and ZS3 (10MP) and the L1 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The L1 was brought out 3 years earlier than the ZS3 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the L1 grades vs the ZS3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic L1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic L1 has outside measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") along with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS3 has dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic L1 vs Panasonic ZS3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the L1 against the ZS3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L1 and ZS3 is 65 and 91 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The image here will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the L1 and ZS3.

All in all, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The L1 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS3 will give you extra detail having its extra 3MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images far more aggressively. The more aged L1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.