Panasonic SZ8 vs Samsung NX200 Comparison

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Panasonic SZ8

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Samsung NX200

20 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic SZ8 vs Samsung NX200 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic SZ8, which was introduced in January 2014 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Samsung NX200, which was introduced in February 2012 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. There is 22 months difference between SZ8 and NX200 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger SZ8, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic SZ8 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-01-06

16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 6400)

24-288 mm F3.1-6.3 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

159g. 100 x 60 x 27 mm

Samsung NX200 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-02-28

20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800

Samsung NX Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

7 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

223g. 117 x 63 x 36 mm

Replaced Samsung NX100 Compare

Samsung NX200 was replaced by Samsung NX210. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Samsung NX210 vs Samsung NX200
Samsung NX210 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 over Samsung NX200

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Weight	159 g vs 223 g	64 g lighter
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Reasons to choose Samsung NX200 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution	20 MP vs 16 MP	25% more pixels
Max ISO	12.800 vs 1.600	700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	15 vs 9	6 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	614k dots vs 460k dots	33% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 1.0fps	6 fps faster
Battery Life	330 shots vs 200 shots	130 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area	18.48µm² vs 1.74µm²	962% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 and Samsung NX200

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 and Samsung NX200

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Panasonic SZ8 vs Samsung NX200: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

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 Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic SZ8 has external dimensions of 100 x 60 x 27 mm (3.94 x 2.36 x 1.06″) and weighs 159 g (0.35 lb / 5.61 oz) (including batteries). Samsung NX200 has external dimensions of 117 x 63 x 36 mm (4.61 x 2.48 x 1.42″) and weighs 223 g (0.49 lb / 7.87 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200. Panasonic SZ8 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 9mm thinner than Samsung NX200. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic SZ8 has a built-in lens but Samsung NX200 doesn't. Once you put a lens on NX200, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic SZ8 is significantly lighter (64g ) than the Samsung NX200 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on NX200, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 nor Samsung NX200 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Panasonic SZ8 vs Samsung NX200: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic SZ8 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Samsung NX200 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the SZ8 and NX200 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 Cameras

As seen above, Samsung NX200 has a 13.3x Larger sensor area than Panasonic SZ8. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 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.

Panasonic SZ8 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Samsung NX200 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
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
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic SZ8 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX200 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
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

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic SZ8 for Sports Photography

POOR

Samsung NX200 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Wireless Connection
288 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.30
Read the details

Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
15 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic SZ8 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX200 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
159g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
223g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Panasonic SZ8 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung NX200 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic SZ8 vs Samsung NX200: OUR DECISION

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 Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200, 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 Panasonic SZ8 and Samsung NX200 scores compare:

Panasonic SZ8

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #280 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #901 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Samsung NX200

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #87 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #380 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Samsung NX200 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic SZ8 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic SZ8. Otherwise, Samsung NX200 is the better camera overall.

Samsung NX200 vs Panasonic SZ8 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8	Samsung NX200
Brand	Panasonic	Samsung
Announced	2014-01-06	2012-02-28
Body Type	Compact	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	APS-C
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area	27.72mm²	368.95mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	20 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	6400 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 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	15
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Samsung NX
Lens Focal Range	24-288 mm (12×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F3.1-6.3	no lens
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	614k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.20 m	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	7.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	159g	223g
Dimensions	100 x 60 x 27mm	117 x 63 x 36mm
Battery Life	200 shots	330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	69
DxO Color Depth	not tested	22.6
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.6
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	618
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