Panasonic ZS15 vs Casio EX-100 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS15

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Casio EX-100

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic ZS15 vs Casio EX-100 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing ZS15 and EX-100, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Panasonic and Casio. Panasonic ZS15 was introduced to market in June 2012 and Casio EX-100 was launched in February 2014. There is 19 months difference between ZS15 and EX-100 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger EX-100, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS15 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-06-29

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

24-384 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

2.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

208g. 105 x 58 x 33 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ25

Casio EX-100 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-02-06

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)

28-300 mm F2.8 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.50" Tilting Screen

30.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

1000fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

389g. 119x67x50 mm

Panasonic ZS15 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 (Lumix DMC-TZ25)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 vs Casio Exilim EX-100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 over Casio Exilim EX-100

Weight	208 g vs 389 g	181 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 28mm	4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	384mm vs 300mm	84 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	16× vs 10.7×	more flexible focal coverage

CHECK ZS15 PRICE

Reasons to choose Casio Exilim EX-100 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max ISO	12.800 vs 6.400	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 23	2 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3.5" vs 3"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	922k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/20000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	30.0fps vs 2.0fps	28 fps faster
Battery Life	390 shots vs 260 shots	130 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.30	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	2.80 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	3.46µm² vs 2.34µm²	47% larger pixel area

CHECK EX-100 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 and Casio Exilim EX-100

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Size	3.50" vs 3.50"	Large display
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele	384mm vs 300mm	Very good Telezoom
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 and Casio Exilim EX-100

External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

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Panasonic ZS15 vs Casio EX-100: 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 ZS15 and Casio EX-100 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS15 has external dimensions of 105 x 58 x 33 mm (4.13 x 2.28 x 1.3″) and weighs 208 g (0.46 lb / 7.34 oz) (including batteries). Casio EX-100 has external dimensions of 119x67x50 mm and weighs 389 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100. Panasonic ZS15 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 14mm narrower, 9mm shorter and 17mm thinner than Casio EX-100.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS15 is significantly lighter (181g ) than the Casio EX-100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS15

EX-100

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS15

EX-100

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 (Lumix DMC-TZ25) nor Casio Exilim EX-100 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Casio EX-100's 3.50" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic ZS15's 3" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Casio EX-100 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS15 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to EX-100.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Casio EX-100: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Panasonic ZS15's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Casio EX-100's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Casio EX-100's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Panasonic ZS15.

Below you can see the ZS15 and EX-100 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 Cameras

As seen above, Casio EX-100 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS15. 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.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Casio EX-100 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 features a 24-384 mm F3.3-5.9 16× zoom lens whereas Casio EX-100 features a 28-300 mm F2.8 10.7× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS15 has 4mm wider coverage than the Casio EX-100. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.80, Casio EX-100 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS15 has 84mm longer reach than the Casio EX-100. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Casio EX-100 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS15

EX-100

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS15

EX-100

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS15

EX-100

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS15

EX-100

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS15 and Casio EX-100 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 ZS15 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Casio EX-100 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Sports Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 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
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 30.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/20000s
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
300 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Casio EX-100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
208g
16.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
10.7X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
389g
Body Thickness 50mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS15 vs Casio EX-100: 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 ZS15 and Casio EX-100, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 ZS15 and Casio EX-100 scores compare:

Panasonic ZS15

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #216 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #821 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Casio EX-100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #14 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #323 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Casio EX-100 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS15 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic ZS15. Otherwise, Casio EX-100 is the better camera overall.

Casio EX-100 vs Panasonic ZS15 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15	Casio Exilim EX-100
Brand	Panasonic	Casio
Announced	2012-06-29	2014-02-06
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	28.07mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	80 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	23	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-384 mm (16×)	28-300 mm (10.7×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-5.9	F2.8
Macro Focus Range	3cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Tilting
Size	3.00"	3.50"
Resolution	460k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/20000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Optical	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.40 m	6.10 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	30.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	208g	389g
Dimensions	105 x 58 x 33mm	119x67x50mm
Battery Life	260 shots	390 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction