Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony RX100

Below, we are looking at the Panasonic ZS8 versus Sony RX100, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the ZS8 (14MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the ZS8 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") come with different sensor measurements.

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The ZS8 was announced 13 months prior to the RX100 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a complete comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the ZS8 grades against the RX100 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS8 Gallery and Sony RX100 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS8 comes with exterior measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs) whilst the Sony RX100 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS8 versus Sony RX100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS8 versus the RX100.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS8 and RX100 is 92 and 91 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes simply by looking at a spec sheet. The image below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS8 and RX100.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS8 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony RX100 will resolve greater detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged ZS8 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.