Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II
91 Imaging
33 Features
30 Overall
31


58 Imaging
52 Features
77 Overall
62
Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-300mm (F3.3-4.9) lens
- 229g - 103 x 60 x 33mm
- Introduced May 2009
- Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ7
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 125 - 12800 (Bump to 25600)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 24-200mm (F2.8) lens
- 813g - 129 x 88 x 102mm
- Introduced June 2015
- Replaced the Sony RX10
- Refreshed by Sony RX10 III

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Overview
The following is a thorough review of the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony RX10 II, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the ZS3 (10MP) and RX10 II (20MP) and the ZS3 (1/2.3") and RX10 II (1") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

The ZS3 was manufactured 7 years earlier than the RX10 II which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the ZS3 grades against the RX10 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS3 Gallery & Sony RX10 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS3 over the Sony RX10 II
ZS3 | RX10 II |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony RX10 II over the Panasonic ZS3
RX10 II | ZS3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | June 2015 | ![]() | May 2009 | Newer by 73 months |
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 1229k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper display (+769k dot) |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony RX10 II
ZS3 | RX10 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical display sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Neither features Touch display |
Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Physical Comparison
If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS3 enjoys physical measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony RX10 II has dimensions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") accompanied by a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).
Analyze the Panasonic ZS3 and Sony RX10 II in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the ZS3 versus the RX10 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS3 and RX10 II is 91 and 58 respectively.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions just by checking technical specs. The image underneath might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS3 and RX10 II.
As you can tell, each of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZS3 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Sony RX10 II will give you greater detail due to its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged ZS3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony RX10 II Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II |
Also called as | Lumix DMC-TZ7 | - |
Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Large Sensor Superzoom |
Introduced | 2009-05-14 | 2015-06-10 |
Body design | Compact | SLR-like (bridge) |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CCD | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1" |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 13.2 x 8.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 116.2mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 20MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 5472 x 3648 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Maximum boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 125 |
RAW pictures | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | - | 64 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 25-300mm (12.0x) | 24-200mm (8.3x) |
Largest aperture | f/3.3-4.9 | f/2.8 |
Macro focus range | 3cm | 3cm |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 2.7 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Screen resolution | 460 thousand dot | 1,229 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
Highest silent shutter speed | - | 1/32000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 2.0fps | 14.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 5.30 m (Auto ISO) | 10.20 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync | Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 3840x2160 |
Video file format | AVCHD Lite | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 229 gr (0.50 pounds) | 813 gr (1.79 pounds) |
Dimensions | 103 x 60 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") | 129 x 88 x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 70 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.0 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.6 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 531 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 400 photographs |
Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at launch | $200 | $998 |