Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon SX30 IS has external dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25″) and weighs 601 g (1.32 lb / 21.20 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic ZS8 has external dimensions of 105 x 58 x 33 mm (4.13 x 2.28 x 1.3″) and weighs 210 g (0.46 lb / 7.41 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8. Panasonic ZS8 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 18mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 75mm thinner than Canon SX30 IS.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Panasonic ZS8 Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic ZS8 is significantly lighter (391g ) than the Canon SX30 IS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Weight Comparison
Compact Cameras
Thickness Comparison
Compact Cameras
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither Canon PowerShot SX30 IS nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 (Lumix DMC-TZ18) provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic ZS8's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SX30 IS's 2.7" screen.
On the other hand, Canon SX30 IS sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS8 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to SX30 IS.
Both Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 have 1/2.3" sized 14.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the SX30 IS and ZS8 sensor size comparison.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Panasonic ZS8 Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 Cameras
Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
Canon SX30 IS features a 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 35× zoom lens whereas Panasonic ZS8 features a 24-384 mm F3.3-5.9 16× zoom lens.
Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 24mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.70, Canon SX30 IS is faster than Panasonic ZS8 at this focal length.
On the tele end, Canon SX30 IS has 456mm longer reach than the Panasonic ZS8. At f5.80, it is also faster at tele end.
Wide Coverage
DSLR-Like Cameras
Max Aperture at Tele
Compact Cameras
Max Aperture at Wide
Compact Cameras
In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.
Canon SX30 IS for Portrait Photography
Panasonic ZS8 for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Street Photography
Panasonic ZS8 for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Sports Photography
Panasonic ZS8 for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
840 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
384 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Daily Photography
Panasonic ZS8 for Daily Photography
35.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
601g
Body Thickness 108mm
Read the details
Compact Body
210g
16.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Landscape Photography
Panasonic ZS8 for Landscape Photography
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.
Here is a summary of how Canon SX30 IS and Panasonic ZS8 scores compare:
Canon SX30 IS
Ranked
#69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked
#626 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Panasonic ZS8
Ranked
#221 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked
#796 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Canon SX30 IS has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic ZS8 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.
| General |
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 |
| Brand |
Canon |
Panasonic |
| Announced |
2010-09-14 |
2011-07-19 |
| Body Type |
SLR-like (bridge) |
Compact |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CCD |
CCD |
| Size |
1/2.3" |
1/2.3" |
| Dimensions |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
6.08 x 4.56 mm |
| Area |
28.07mm2 |
27.72mm2 |
| Megapixels |
14 megapixels |
14 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
4320 x 3240 |
4320 x 3240 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
1,600 ISO |
6,400 ISO |
| Min Native Light sensitivity |
80 ISO |
100 ISO |
| RAW Support |
|
|
Autofocus |
|
|
| AF Touch |
|
|
| AF Continuous |
|
|
| AF Single |
|
|
| AF Tracking |
|
|
| AF Selective |
|
|
| AF Center |
|
|
| AF Multi Area |
|
|
| AF Live View |
|
|
| AF Face Detection |
|
|
| AF Contrast Detection |
|
|
| AF Phase Detection |
|
|
| Number of Focus Points |
9 |
11 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
fixed lens |
| Lens Focal Range |
24-840 mm (35×) |
24-384 mm (16×) |
| Max Aperture |
F2.7-5.8 |
F3.3-5.9 |
| Macro Focus Range |
0cm |
3cm |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fully Articulated |
Fixed type |
| Size |
2.7" |
3" |
| Resolution |
230k dots |
230k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
Electronic |
None |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/3200s |
1/4000s |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Optical |
Optical |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Flash Range |
6.80 m |
5.00 m |
| External Flash |
|
|
| Continuous Shooting |
1.0 fps |
2.0 fps |
| Multi-Segment |
|
|
| Average |
|
|
| Spot |
|
|
| Partial |
|
|
| AF-Area |
|
|
| Center Weighted |
|
|
| AE Bracketing |
|
|
| WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
| Max Video Resolution |
1280 x 720 |
1280 x 720 |
| Video Formats |
Motion JPEG |
MPEG-4 |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
Eye-Fi Connected |
None |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
601g |
210g |
| Dimensions |
123 x 92 x 108mm |
105 x 58 x 33mm |
| Battery Life |
n/a |
340 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |