Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony HX300

Here, we are contrasting the Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony HX300, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the ZR3 (14MP) and HX300 (20MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The ZR3 was released 4 years before the HX300 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the ZR3 scores vs the HX300 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZR3 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZR3 comes with external measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony HX300 has proportions of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony HX300 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the ZR3 versus the HX300.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the ZR3 and HX300 is 94 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through specifications. The visual here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the ZR3 and HX300.

To sum up, each of these cameras feature the identical sensor size but different MP. You can expect to see the Sony HX300 to result in more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older ZR3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.