Panasonic ZS100 Comparison Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 (called Panasonic TZ100 in some regions) is a fixed lens compact camera that was officially introduced in January 2016 and is equipped with an one-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20 megapixel.

Is the Panasonic ZS100 a good camera? The ZS100 has a Camera Elo of 2100. This rating puts the ZS100 among the top 40 percent of all superzoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (one inch cameras), the ZS100 ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Panasonic ZS100 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Panasonic ZS100 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic ZS100	111 mm	65 mm	44 mm	312 g	300	n	Jan 2016	EUR 699	ebay.com
2.		Canon G5 X	112 mm	76 mm	44 mm	353 g	210	n	Oct 2015	EUR 789	ebay.com
3.		Canon G7 X	103 mm	60 mm	40 mm	304 g	210	n	Sep 2014	EUR 649	ebay.com
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	106 mm	61 mm	42 mm	319 g	265	n	Feb 2016	EUR 685	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	138 mm	102 mm	135 mm	915 g	350	n	Sep 2016	EUR 1 249	amazon.com
6.		Panasonic LX10	106 mm	60 mm	42 mm	310 g	260	n	Sep 2016	EUR 699	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic ZS200	111 mm	65 mm	45 mm	340 g	370	n	Feb 2018	EUR 799	amazon.com
8.		Sony RX100 II	102 mm	58 mm	38 mm	281 g	350	n	Jun 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	EUR 849	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 V	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	299 g	220	n	Oct 2016	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Panasonic ZS100 was launched in the US market at a price of $699. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check ZS100 offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Panasonic ZS100 features an one-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Panasonic ZS100 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic ZS100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.5	559	70
2.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
3.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.8	11.9	260	62
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	538	70
6.		Panasonic LX10	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.5	581	70
7.		Panasonic ZS200	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	449	64
8.		Sony RX100 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.5	12.4	483	67
9.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
10.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
11.		Sony RX100 V	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	586	70
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The ZS100 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the ZS100 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the ZS100 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 1166k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.46x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Panasonic ZS100 and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Panasonic ZS100	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G5 X	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon G7 X	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	6.5/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Panasonic LX10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Panasonic ZS200	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony RX100 II	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony RX100 V	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the ZS100 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Panasonic ZS100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Canon G5 X	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon G7 X	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Panasonic LX10	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Panasonic ZS200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Sony RX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony RX100 V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the ZS100 offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The ZS100 has a zoom lens built in (9.1-91mm f/2.8-5.9), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 25 to 250mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the ZS100 can be found in the free online Panasonic ZS100 Manual or on the Panasonic support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the ZS100. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic ZS100	4.5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2016	EUR 699	ebay.com
2.		Canon G5 X	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	EUR 789	ebay.com
3.		Canon G7 X	4/5	+ +	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	EUR 649	ebay.com
4.		Canon G7 X Mark II	4.5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	EUR 685	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic FZ2500	..	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2016	EUR 1 249	amazon.com
6.		Panasonic LX10	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	EUR 699	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic ZS200	..	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 799	amazon.com
8.		Sony RX100 II	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	EUR 849	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 V	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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