Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic LF1 Comparison

Camera to replace

Change

Panasonic ZS3

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

CHECK PRICE

Change

Panasonic LF1

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

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic LF1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras by Panasonic. Panasonic ZS3 was introduced to market in May 2009 and Panasonic LF1 was launched in November 2013. As you can see, ZS3 is 4 years older than LF1. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Panasonic ZS3 has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Panasonic LF1 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 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

Panasonic LF1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-11-26

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)

28-200 mm F2.0-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Electronic viewfinder

10 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

192g. 103 x 62 x 28 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1

Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 28mm	3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 200mm	100 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	12× vs 7.1×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 11	12 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	920k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 2.0fps	8 fps faster
Weight	192 g vs 229 g	37 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide	2.00 vs 3.30	faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage	7.0m vs 5.3m	1.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	3.46µm² vs 2.78µm²	24% larger pixel area
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
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Focal Length - Tele	300mm vs 200mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

New4

Panasonic ZS3 vs Panasonic LF1: 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 Panasonic LF1 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). Panasonic LF1 has external dimensions of 103 x 62 x 28 mm (4.06 x 2.44 x 1.1″) and weighs 192 g (0.42 lb / 6.77 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic LF1 is significantly lighter (37g ) than the Panasonic ZS3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3

LF1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

ZS3

LF1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7) nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 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 Panasonic LF1'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 Panasonic LF1: 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, Panasonic LF1 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the ZS3 and LF1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic LF1 has a 1.5x 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 Panasonic LF1 Lens Specs Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 features a 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 12× zoom lens whereas Panasonic LF1 features a 28-200 mm F2.0-5.9 7.1× zoom lens.

Panasonic ZS3 has 3mm wider coverage than the Panasonic LF1. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.00, Panasonic LF1 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS3 has 100mm longer reach than the Panasonic LF1. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

ZS3

LF1

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

ZS3

LF1

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

ZS3

LF1

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

ZS3

LF1

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Panasonic LF1 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

Panasonic LF1 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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
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
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic LF1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic LF1 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
200 mm Tele Lens
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic LF1 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
192g
7.1X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic LF1 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 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 ZS3 vs Panasonic LF1: 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 Panasonic LF1, 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 Panasonic LF1 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

Panasonic LF1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #21 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #359 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic LF1 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS3 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Panasonic LF1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1
Brand	Panasonic	Panasonic
Announced	2009-05-14	2013-11-26
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	27.72mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	12800 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	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-300 mm (12×)	28-200 mm (7.1×)
Max Aperture	F3.3-4.9	F2.0-5.9
Macro Focus Range	3cm	3cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.30 m (Auto ISO)	7.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	10.0 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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	192g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	103 x 62 x 28mm
Battery Life	n/a	250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	52
DxO Color Depth	not tested	20.8
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.6
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	211
	Report a correction	Report a correction