Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony H300

Here is a in-depth comparison of the Panasonic ZS40 and Sony H300, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS40 (18MP) and the H300 (20MP) is very comparable and both cameras have the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The ZS40 was released within a month of the H300 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Sony H300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the ZS40 scores against the H300 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery and Sony H300 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS40 enjoys external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) whilst the Sony H300 has measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 122mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.8") having a weight of 590 grams (1.30 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS40 and Sony H300 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the ZS40 against the H300.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS40 and H300 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing only by going through technical specs. The visual here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS40 and H300.

As you have seen, both the cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Sony H300 to provide greater detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images a good deal more aggressively.