Samsung HZ30W vs Sony ZV-1

The following is a detailed review of the Samsung HZ30W and Sony ZV-1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Samsung and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the HZ30W (12MP) and ZV-1 (20MP) and the HZ30W (1/2.3") and ZV-1 (1") offer different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The HZ30W was unveiled 11 years earlier than the ZV-1 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Samsung HZ30W being a Compact camera and the Sony ZV-1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the HZ30W grades vs the ZV-1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung HZ30W and Sony ZV-1. The full galleries are available at Samsung HZ30W Gallery and Sony ZV-1 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Samsung HZ30W has outer dimensions of 107mm x 61mm x 28mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Sony ZV-1 has specifications of 105mm x 60mm x 44mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.7") with a weight of 294 grams (0.65 lbs).

See the Samsung HZ30W and Sony ZV-1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the HZ30W versus the ZV-1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the HZ30W and ZV-1 is 91 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to picture the gap in sensor dimensions simply by going through technical specs. The pic underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the HZ30W and ZV-1.

As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The HZ30W having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony ZV-1 will produce more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged HZ30W will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.