Panasonic S3 vs Panasonic ZS60

Its time to take a deeper look at the Panasonic S3 and Panasonic ZS60, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both sold by Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the S3 (14MP) and ZS60 (18MP) but they use the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The S3 was released 6 years prior to the ZS60 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a complete comparison, below is a short highlight of how the S3 grades versus the ZS60 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic S3 Gallery & Panasonic ZS60 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S3 offers physical measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS60 has measurements of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic S3 and Panasonic ZS60 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the S3 vs the ZS60.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the S3 and ZS60 is 96 and 88 respectively.

Often, its hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through specifications. The photograph below will give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the S3 and ZS60.

To sum up, both cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You can expect to see the Panasonic ZS60 to produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The older S3 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.