Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony RX100 III

Lets look more closely at the Panasonic ZS40 versus Sony RX100 III, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZS40 (18MP) and the RX100 III (20MP) is relatively well matched but the ZS40 (1/2.3") and RX100 III (1") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS40 was unveiled 4 months earlier than the RX100 III and they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the ZS40 grades vs the RX100 III when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery & Sony RX100 III Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS40 has exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) while the Sony RX100 III has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS40 versus Sony RX100 III in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the ZS40 versus the RX100 III.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS40 and RX100 III is 90 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to imagine the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading through a spec sheet. The image underneath will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS40 and RX100 III.

As you can see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS40 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Sony RX100 III will resolve extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively.