Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony RX100 III

The following is a extended review of the Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony RX100 III, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS45 (16MP) and the RX100 III (20MP) is fairly close but the ZS45 (1/2.3") and RX100 III (1") feature totally different sensor size.

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The ZS45 was announced 8 months after the RX100 III so they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the ZS45 grades against the RX100 III in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery & Sony RX100 III Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS45 has outside dimensions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Sony RX100 III has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony RX100 III in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS45 vs the RX100 III.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS45 and RX100 III is 91 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing specs. The pic here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS45 and RX100 III.

All in all, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS45 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony RX100 III will result in more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent ZS45 will have a benefit in sensor innovation.