Panasonic ZS3 vs Canon A490 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

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

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Canon A490

10 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic ZS3 vs Canon A490 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Panasonic and Canon. Panasonic ZS3 was introduced to market in May 2009 and Canon A490 was launched in January 2010. There is only 8 months difference between ZS3 and A490 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Both Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 cameras have 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS3 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-05-14

10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

229g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ7

Canon A490 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-01-05

10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

37-122 mm F3.0-5.8 Zoom Lens

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

- 640 x 480 video resolution

175g. 94 x 62 x 31 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Canon PowerShot A490

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Max ISO	6.400 vs 1.600	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	11 vs 5	6 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 115k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	1 fps faster
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 37mm	12 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 122mm	178 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	12× vs 3.3×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.80	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	5.3m vs 3.0m	2.3m longer range
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs 640 x 480	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot A490 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

Weight	175 g vs 229 g	54 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	3.00 vs 3.30	faster lens at wide

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Canon PowerShot A490

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Canon PowerShot A490

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Max Resolution	10 MP vs 10 MP	Less details and smaller prints
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 115k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Panasonic ZS3 vs Canon A490: 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 ZS3 and Canon A490 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS3 has external dimensions of 103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.06 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 229 g (0.50 lb / 8.08 oz) (including batteries). Canon A490 has external dimensions of 94 x 62 x 31 mm (3.7 x 2.44 x 1.22″) and weighs 175 g (0.39 lb / 6.17 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490. Canon A490 is 9mm narrower and 2mm thinner than Panasonic ZS3 but it is also 2mm taller.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 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. Canon A490 is significantly lighter (54g ) than the Panasonic ZS3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3

A490

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3

A490

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7) nor Canon PowerShot A490 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

Panasonic ZS3's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon A490's 2.5" screen.

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

Panasonic ZS3 vs Canon A490: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 have 1/2.3-inch sized 10.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the ZS3 and A490 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 Cameras

Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 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.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Canon A490 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Canon A490 features a 37-122 mm F3.0-5.8 3.3× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS3 has 12mm wider coverage than the Canon A490. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.00, Canon A490 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS3 has 178mm longer reach than the Canon A490. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS3

A490

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS3

A490

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS3

A490

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS3

A490

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Canon A490 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 ZS3 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Canon A490 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
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

Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
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

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon A490 for Street Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
25 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

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

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Canon A490 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
11 Focus Points
300 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: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
122 mm Tele Lens
No Image Stabilization
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
5 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon A490 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
229g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
175g
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
3.3X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon A490 for Landscape Photography

POOR

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
37 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Canon A490: 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 ZS3 and Canon A490, 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 ZS3 and Canon A490 scores compare:

Panasonic ZS3

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #342 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #996 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Canon A490

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #461 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1185 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS3 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon A490 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Canon A490 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3	Canon PowerShot A490
Brand	Panasonic	Canon
Announced	2009-05-14	2010-01-05
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	27.72mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	1,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 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	11	5
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-300 mm (12×)	37-122 mm (3.3×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	F3.0-5.8
Macro Focus Range	3cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	2.5"
Resolution	460k dots	115k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.30 m (Auto ISO)	3.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	640 x 480
Video Formats	AVCHD Lite	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	175g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	94 x 62 x 31mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction