Panasonic LX3 vs Panasonic ZS40

Let's look closer at the Panasonic LX3 and Panasonic ZS40, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both produced by Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the LX3 (10MP) and ZS40 (18MP) and the LX3 (1/1.63") and ZS40 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The LX3 was unveiled 6 years prior to the ZS40 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise summation of how the LX3 scores against the ZS40 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic LX3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic LX3 features outside dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS40 has dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic LX3 and Panasonic ZS40 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the LX3 compared to the ZS40.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the LX3 and ZS40 is 91 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to see the gap in sensor sizes purely by seeing technical specs. The image here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the LX3 and ZS40.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The LX3 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS40 will provide greater detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged LX3 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.