Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax Q10 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

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

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Pentax Q10

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax Q10 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 Pentax Q10, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, ZS3 is 3 years older than Q10. 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 Pentax Q10 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

Pentax Q10 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-09-10

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

Pentax Q Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

5 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

200g. 102 x 58 x 34 mm

Replaced Pentax Q Compare

Pentax Q10 was replaced by Pentax Q7. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax Q7 vs Pentax Q10
Pentax Q7 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Pentax Q10

Reasons to choose Pentax Q10 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
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	25 vs 11	14 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	5.0fps vs 2.0fps	3 fps faster
Weight	200 g vs 229 g	29 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Flash Coverage	7.0m vs 5.3m	1.7m longer range
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 Pentax Q10

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

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Pentax Q10

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax Q10: 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 Pentax Q10 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). Pentax Q10 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 34 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.34″) and weighs 200 g (0.44 lb / 7.05 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10. Pentax Q10 is 1mm narrower and 2mm shorter than Panasonic ZS3 but it is also 1mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS3 has a built-in lens but Pentax Q10 doesn't. Once you put a lens on Q10, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10.

Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax Q10 is 29g lighter than the Panasonic ZS3 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 Q10, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7) nor Pentax Q10 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 and Pentax Q10'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 Pentax Q10: 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, Pentax Q10 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the ZS3 and Q10 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 Cameras

Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 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.

What types of Photography are Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Pentax Q10 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

Pentax Q10 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
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax Q10 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
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax Q10 for Sports Photography

GOOD

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
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax Q10 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

200g
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax Q10 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

Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Pentax Q10: 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 Pentax Q10, 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 Pentax Q10 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

Pentax Q10

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #59 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #296 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax Q10 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

Pentax Q10 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3	Pentax Q10
Brand	Panasonic	Pentax
Announced	2009-05-14	2012-09-10
Body Type	Compact	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
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	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3648 x 2736	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 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	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Pentax Q
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"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/8000s
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)	7.00 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	5.0 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	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	229g	200g
Dimensions	103 x 60 x 33mm	102 x 58 x 34mm
Battery Life	n/a	270 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	49
DxO Color Depth	not tested	21.1
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	10.9
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	183
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