Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950
92 Imaging
42 Features
48 Overall
44


94 Imaging
33 Features
17 Overall
26
Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
- 198g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
- Released January 2013
- Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-TZ40
- Older Model is Panasonic ZS25
- Replacement is Panasonic ZS35
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- No Video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Revealed February 2009

Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Overview
Lets look a little more in depth at the Panasonic ZS30 versus Sony S950, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the ZS30 (18MP) and S950 (10MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

The ZS30 was unveiled 3 years after the S950 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go through a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the ZS30 matches up versus the S950 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS30 Gallery & Sony S950 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS30 over the Sony S950
ZS30 | S950 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | January 2013 | ![]() | February 2009 | Newer by 48 months |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+690k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony S950 over the Panasonic ZS30
S950 | ZS30 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony S950
ZS30 | S950 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen |
Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is going to travel with your camera, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS30 features physical measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) and the Sony S950 has dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
See the Panasonic ZS30 versus Sony S950 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the ZS30 and the S950.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS30 and S950 is 92 and 94 respectively.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Sensor Comparison
Often, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions just by checking out a spec sheet. The picture below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS30 and S950.
As you can see, the 2 cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You can expect to see the Panasonic ZS30 to show greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The newer ZS30 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.

Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony S950 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Panasonic | Sony |
Model type | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 |
Also referred to as | Lumix DMC-TZ40 | - |
Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
Released | 2013-01-07 | 2009-02-17 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 18 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4896 x 3672 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 23 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 24-480mm (20.0x) | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | f/3.3-6.4 | f/3.3-5.2 |
Macro focusing range | 3cm | 10cm |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
Screen resolution | 920 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 15s | 2s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/1200s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shooting rate | 10.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 6.40 m | 3.50 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video file format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | Motion JPEG |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 198 gr (0.44 pounds) | 167 gr (0.37 pounds) |
Dimensions | 105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 260 shots | - |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at launch | $250 | $130 |