Panasonic ZS3 vs Nikon S30 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

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

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Nikon S30

10 MP | 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 mm) CCD Sensor

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Panasonic ZS3 vs Nikon S30 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Panasonic and Nikon. Panasonic ZS3 was introduced to market in May 2009 and Nikon S30 was launched in February 2012. As you can see, ZS3 is 3 years older than S30. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have 10.0MP sensors but Panasonic ZS3's sensor is 1/2.3-inch sized whereas Nikon S30 has a 1/3-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 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

Nikon S30 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-02-01

10MP - 1/3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

29-87 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens

2.7" Fixed Type Screen

1.5 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

214g. 102 x 65 x 40 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Nikon Coolpix S30

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
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.5fps	0.5 fps faster
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 29mm	4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 87mm	213 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	12× vs 3×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	2.78µm² vs 1.73µm²	60% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S30 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Weight	214 g vs 229 g	15 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Nikon Coolpix S30

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

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Nikon Coolpix S30

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 2.7"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.5fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control

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Panasonic ZS3 vs Nikon S30: 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 Nikon S30 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). Nikon S30 has external dimensions of 102 x 65 x 40 mm (4.02 x 2.56 x 1.57″) and weighs 214 g (0.47 lb / 7.55 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30. Panasonic ZS3 is 5mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Nikon S30 but it is also 1mm wider.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon S30 is 15g lighter than the Panasonic ZS3 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3

S30

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3

S30

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of S30, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to ZS3.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic ZS3's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon S30's 2.7" screen.

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

Panasonic ZS3 vs Nikon S30: Sensor Comparison

Both Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 have 10.0 MP resolution sensors but Panasonic ZS3's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) and Nikon S30's sensor is 1/3-inch (4.8 x 3.6 mm ).

Since Panasonic ZS3'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 Nikon S30.

Below you can see the ZS3 and S30 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic ZS3 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Nikon S30. 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 Nikon S30 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Nikon S30 features a 29-87 mm F3.3-5.9 3× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS3 has 4mm wider coverage than the Nikon S30. Both cameras has a max aperture of f3.30 at the wide end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS3 has 213mm longer reach than the Nikon S30. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS3

S30

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS3

S30

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS3

S30

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS3

S30

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Nikon S30 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

Nikon S30 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 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 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

Nikon S30 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
Face-Detection Focusing
29 mm - Not so Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon S30 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

Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
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: 1.5fps
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 240 shots
87 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon S30 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
214g
Environmental Sealings
Small 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Body Thickness 40mm
3.0X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon S30 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

Environmental Sealings
29 mm - Not so Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/3" (4.8 x 3.6 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Nikon S30: 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 Nikon S30, 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 Nikon S30 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

Nikon S30

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #373 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1047 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS3 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon S30 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon S30 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3	Nikon Coolpix S30
Brand	Panasonic	Nikon
Announced	2009-05-14	2012-02-01
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/3-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	4.8 x 3.6 mm
Area	27.72mm²	17.28mm²
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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-300 mm (12×)	29-87 mm (3×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	F3.3-5.9
Macro Focus Range	3cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	2.7"
Resolution	460k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.30 m (Auto ISO)	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	1.5 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1280 x 720
Video Formats	AVCHD Lite	MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	214g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	102 x 65 x 40mm
Battery Life	n/a	240 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction