Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony HX99

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony HX99, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS3 (10MP) and HX99 (18MP) and the ZS3 (1/2.3") and HX99 (1/2.3-inch) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS3 was unveiled 10 years earlier than the HX99 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the ZS3 matches up against the HX99 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS3 Gallery and Sony HX99 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS3 comes with exterior dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony HX99 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") with a weight of 242 grams (0.53 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony HX99 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS3 against the HX99.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS3 and HX99 is 91 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements just by checking out specs. The photograph here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS3 and HX99.

All in all, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS3 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony HX99 will show extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older ZS3 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.