Panasonic SZ3 vs Panasonic ZS3

Its time to look much closer at the Panasonic SZ3 and Panasonic ZS3, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are offered by Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the SZ3 (16MP) and ZS3 (10MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ3 was unveiled 3 years after the ZS3 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the SZ3 matches up against the ZS3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic SZ3 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera, you should consider its weight and size. The Panasonic SZ3 provides outside measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS3 has specifications of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic SZ3 and Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is a front view scale comparison of the SZ3 against the ZS3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ3 and ZS3 is 96 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions merely by viewing technical specs. The image underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ3 and ZS3.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You can expect the Panasonic SZ3 to provide you with more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger SZ3 should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.