Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony RX100

Lets look much closer at the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony RX100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS30 (18MP) and the RX100 (20MP) is relatively similar but the ZS30 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The ZS30 was introduced 5 months later than the RX100 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the ZS30 matches up versus the RX100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS30 Gallery & Sony RX100 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS30 comes with exterior dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony RX100 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the ZS30 compared to the RX100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the ZS30 and RX100 is 92 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS30 and RX100.

Clearly, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS30 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony RX100 will deliver more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively.