Panasonic LX3 vs Sony W800

Its time to look a little more closely at the Panasonic LX3 versus Sony W800, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the LX3 (10MP) and W800 (20MP) and the LX3 (1/1.63") and W800 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

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The LX3 was announced 6 years earlier than the W800 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the LX3 matches up versus the W800 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic LX3 Gallery and Sony W800 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic LX3 features exterior measurements of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Sony W800 has dimensions of 97mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

See the Panasonic LX3 versus Sony W800 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view scale comparison of the LX3 and the W800.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the LX3 and W800 is 91 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below might give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the LX3 and W800.

Clearly, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The LX3 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony W800 will give greater detail with its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older LX3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.