Panasonic LZ40 vs Sony HX99

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Panasonic LZ40 and Sony HX99, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the LZ40 (20MP) and the HX99 (18MP) is fairly comparable but the LZ40 (1/2.3") and HX99 (1/2.3-inch) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The LZ40 was launched 5 years earlier than the HX99 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony HX99 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a brief summary of how the LZ40 grades vs the HX99 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic LZ40 Gallery & Sony HX99 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic LZ40 features physical measurements of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") along with a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs) while the Sony HX99 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") with a weight of 242 grams (0.53 lbs).

Check the Panasonic LZ40 and Sony HX99 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the LZ40 compared to the HX99.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the LZ40 and HX99 is 67 and 91 respectively.

Often, its tough to see the contrast in sensor sizes merely by going through specs. The pic here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the LZ40 and HX99.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The LZ40 because of its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic LZ40 will show more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged LZ40 will be behind in sensor tech.