Panasonic LX3 vs Sony HX200V

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic LX3 and Sony HX200V, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the LX3 (10MP) and HX200V (18MP) and the LX3 (1/1.63") and HX200V (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The LX3 was released 4 years prior to the HX200V which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX200V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the LX3 matches up against the HX200V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic LX3 Gallery and Sony HX200V Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic LX3 offers external dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony HX200V has specifications of 122mm x 87mm x 93mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 3.7") having a weight of 583 grams (1.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic LX3 and Sony HX200V in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the LX3 and the HX200V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the LX3 and HX200V is 91 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions purely by checking specs. The picture below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the LX3 and HX200V.

All in all, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The LX3 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony HX200V will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The more aged LX3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.