Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony QX30

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony QX30, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Lens-style by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS3 (10MP) and QX30 (20MP) but they use the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The ZS3 was revealed 6 years before the QX30 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera and the Sony QX30 being a Lens-style camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a concise summary of how the ZS3 scores versus the QX30 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX30. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS3 Gallery and Sony QX30 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS3 has got physical measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony QX30 has specifications of 68mm x 65mm x 58mm (2.7" x 2.6" x 2.3") along with a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony QX30 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the ZS3 versus the QX30.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the ZS3 and QX30 is 91 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing merely by reading through specs. The graphic underneath should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS3 and QX30.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You should expect to see the Sony QX30 to resolve extra detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The older ZS3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.