Panasonic S3 vs Sony HX90V

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic S3 and Sony HX90V, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the S3 (14MP) and HX90V (18MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The S3 was manufactured 5 years prior to the HX90V which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the S3 matches up vs the HX90V with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic S3 Gallery and Sony HX90V Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S3 provides external 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) whilst the Sony HX90V has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic S3 and Sony HX90V in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the S3 compared to the HX90V.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S3 and HX90V is 96 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to imagine the difference between sensor sizes purely by checking specifications. The picture underneath might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the S3 and HX90V.

To sum up, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You should expect the Sony HX90V to resolve more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged S3 is going to be behind in sensor technology.