Panasonic ZS100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Following is a extensive assessment of the Panasonic ZS100 versus Sigma DP3 Merrill, both Large Sensor Compact cameras by brands Panasonic and Sigma. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and DP3 Merrill (15MP) and the ZS100 (1") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The ZS100 was unveiled 3 years after the DP3 Merrill which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Large Sensor Compact).

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the ZS100 grades vs the DP3 Merrill when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery and Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS100 offers exterior measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Sigma DP3 Merrill has specifications of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS100 versus Sigma DP3 Merrill in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS100 and the DP3 Merrill.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS100 and DP3 Merrill is 87 and 83 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by checking out a spec sheet. The pic below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS100 and DP3 Merrill.

Clearly, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS100 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic ZS100 will show more detail having an extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The younger ZS100 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.