Panasonic SZ1 vs Sony HX99

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic SZ1 vs Sony HX99, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the SZ1 (16MP) and the HX99 (18MP) is pretty well matched but the SZ1 (1/2.3") and HX99 (1/2.3-inch) have different sensor size.

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The SZ1 was launched 7 years earlier than the HX99 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SZ1 scores versus the HX99 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic SZ1 Gallery and Sony HX99 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera often, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic SZ1 enjoys external measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs) whilst the Sony HX99 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 242 grams (0.53 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic SZ1 vs Sony HX99 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is a front view size comparison of the SZ1 compared to the HX99.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ1 and HX99 is 95 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing merely by looking at technical specs. The photograph here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ1 and HX99.

As you can tell, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony HX99 will resolve more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older SZ1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.