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Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

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

Panasonic ZS3
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Fujifilm F900EXR

16 MP | 1/2" (6.4 x 4.8 mm) EXRCMOS Sensor

Fujifilm F900EXR
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Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing ZS3 and F900EXR, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Panasonic and Fujifilm. Panasonic ZS3 has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Fujifilm F900EXR has a 16.0MP 1/2-inch sensor. Panasonic ZS3 was introduced to market in May 2009 and Fujifilm F900EXR was launched in January 2013. As you can see, ZS3 is 4 years older than F900EXR. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR 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

Fujifilm F900EXR Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-01-30
  • 16MP - 1/2-inch EXRCMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200 ( expands to 12800)
  • 25-500 mm F3.5-5.3 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 11 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 232g. 105 x 61 x 36 mm
  • Replaced Fujifilm FinePix F800EXR Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Weight
229 g vs 232 g 3 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide
3.30 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.90 vs 5.30 faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage
5.3m vs 3.7m 1.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
2.78µm2 vs 1.93µm2 44% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution
920k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
11.0fps vs 2.0fps 9 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele
500mm vs 300mm 200 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
20× vs 12× more flexible focal coverage
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-ZS3 and Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR
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
Focal Length - Tele
300mm vs 500mm Very good Telezoom
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR
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
Manual Focusing
No vs No No manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR: 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 Fujifilm F900EXR 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). Fujifilm F900EXR has external dimensions of 105 x 61 x 36 mm (4.13 x 2.4 x 1.42″) and weighs 232 g (0.51 lb / 8.18 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR. Panasonic ZS3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 2mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 3mm thinner than Fujifilm F900EXR.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR.
Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS3 is 3g lighter than the Fujifilm F900EXR but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3
F900EXR
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3
F900EXR
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7) nor Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR 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 and Fujifilm F900EXR'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 ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Fujifilm F900EXR has a 16.0MP 1/2-inch (6.4 x 4.8 mm ) sized EXRCMOS sensor and features EXR II processor.

Fujifilm F900EXR's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic ZS3's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the ZS3 and F900EXR sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR Cameras


As seen above, Fujifilm F900EXR has a 1.1x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS3. 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 ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Fujifilm F900EXR features a 25-500 mm F3.5-5.3 20× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 25mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.30, Panasonic ZS3 is faster than Fujifilm F900EXR at this focal length. On the tele end, Fujifilm F900EXR has 200mm longer telezoom reach than the Panasonic ZS3. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Panasonic ZS3 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS3
F900EXR
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS3
F900EXR
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS3
F900EXR
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS3
F900EXR
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Fujifilm F900EXR 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

Fujifilm F900EXR 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
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2" (6.4 x 4.8 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Fujifilm F900EXR for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2" (6.4 x 4.8 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Fujifilm F900EXR 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
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Wireless Connection
500 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Fujifilm F900EXR for Daily Photography

GOOD
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
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
232g
20.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2" (6.4 x 4.8 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Fujifilm F900EXR 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
Manual Exposure Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2" (6.4 x 4.8 mm) sensor
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Fujifilm F900EXR: 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 Fujifilm F900EXR, 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 Fujifilm F900EXR 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
Fujifilm F900EXR
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #47 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #456 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Fujifilm F900EXR is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS3 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic ZS3. Otherwise, Fujifilm F900EXR is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS3
Panasonic ZS3
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Fujifilm F900EXR
Fujifilm F900EXR
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Fujifilm F900EXR vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR
Brand Panasonic Fujifilm
Announced 2009-05-14 2013-01-30
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type CCD EXRCMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2-inch
Dimensions 6.08 x 4.56 mm 6.4 x 4.8 mm
Area 27.72mm2 30.72mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 12800 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 11 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 25-300 mm (12×) 25-500 mm (20×)
Max Aperture F3.3-4.9 F3.5-5.3
Macro Focus Range 3cm 5cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 920k 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 Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.30 m (Auto ISO) 3.70 m (Wide: 15 cm–3.7 m / Tele: 90 cm–2.4m)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 2.0 fps 11.0 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 AVCHD Lite MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 232g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 105 x 61 x 36mm
Battery Life n/a 260 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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