Panasonic ZS3 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

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

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Leica M-E Typ 220

18 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic ZS3 vs Leica M-E Typ 220 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic ZS3, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Leica M-E Typ 220, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, ZS3 is 3 years older than M-E Typ 220. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

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 ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 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

Leica M-E Typ 220 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-09-17

18MP - Full frame CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 2500

Leica M Mount

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (rangefinder) viewfinder

2 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

585g. 139 x 80 x 37 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Leica M-E Typ 220

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Max ISO	6.400 vs 2.500	156% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Weight	229 g vs 585 g	356 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Leica M-E Typ 220 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution	18 MP vs 10 MP	80% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area	47.73µm² vs 2.78µm²	1616% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 2.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

Panasonic ZS3 vs Leica M-E Typ 220: 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 Leica M-E Typ 220 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). Leica M-E Typ 220 has external dimensions of 139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.47 x 3.15 x 1.46″) and weighs 585 g (1.29 lb / 20.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220. Panasonic ZS3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 36mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Leica M-E Typ 220. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS3 has a built-in lens but Leica M-E Typ 220 doesn't. Once you put a lens on M-E Typ 220, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS3 is significantly lighter (356g ) than the Leica M-E Typ 220 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 M-E Typ 220, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7) nor Leica M-E Typ 220 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 ZS3's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Leica M-E Typ 220's 2.5" screen.

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

Panasonic ZS3 vs Leica M-E Typ 220: 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, Leica M-E Typ 220 has a 18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Leica M-E Typ 220's sensor provides 8MP 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 M-E Typ 220 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Cameras

As seen above, Leica M-E Typ 220 has a 31.2x 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.

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Leica M-E Typ 220 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

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Leica M-E Typ 220 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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
585g
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Leica M-E Typ 220 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Leica M-E Typ 220: 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 Leica M-E Typ 220, 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 Leica M-E Typ 220 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

Leica M-E Typ 220

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #120 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #541 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Leica M-E Typ 220 scores higher than the Panasonic ZS3 in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Panasonic ZS3. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS3 is more portable and has more features than Leica M-E Typ 220.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Leica M-E Typ 220.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Panasonic ZS3 is the right choice for you.

Leica M-E Typ 220 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3	Leica M-E Typ 220
Brand	Panasonic	Leica
Announced	2009-05-14	2012-09-17
Body Type	Compact	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	Full frame
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	36 x 24 mm
Area	27.72mm²	864.00mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	18 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	5212 x 3472
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	2,500 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Leica M
Lens Focal Range	25-300 mm (12×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	no lens
Macro Focus Range	3cm	no lens
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	2.5"
Resolution	460k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (rangefinder)
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	Unknown
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.68x
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	5.30 m (Auto ISO)	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 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	None
Video Formats	AVCHD Lite	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	585g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	139 x 80 x 37mm
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	69
DxO Color Depth	not tested	22.7
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.7
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	787
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