Panasonic XS1 vs Sony RX10 III

Following is a detailed assessment of the Panasonic XS1 and Sony RX10 III, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the XS1 (16MP) and the RX10 III (20MP) is very close but the XS1 (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") come with different sensor size.

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The XS1 was revealed 4 years before the RX10 III which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick summation of how the XS1 scores against the RX10 III in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The full galleries are available at Panasonic XS1 Gallery & Sony RX10 III Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic XS1 comes with external measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs) while the Sony RX10 III has proportions of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") having a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic XS1 and Sony RX10 III in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the XS1 and the RX10 III.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XS1 and RX10 III is 97 and 53 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to picture the gap in sensor sizes just by researching technical specs. The image below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the XS1 and RX10 III.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XS1 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Sony RX10 III will result in greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged XS1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.