Canon SX50 vs Panasonic ZS100

Panasonic ZS100 advantages over Canon SX50

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  1 inch vs 1/2.3 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 2.41 vs 1.54 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Shoot 4K video
  4K (UHD) vs 1080p
  Make sure you have a fast computer
• Touchscreen
  Touch vs No touch
  Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
• In-camera panoramas
  Yes vs No
  Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
• Larger lens aperture
  f/2.8 vs f/3.4
  Take photos in low-light or isolate your subject
• Built-in Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi vs None
  Share your photos wirelessly
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  ZS100 test data on DxO Mark SX50 test data on DxO Mark
  22.8 vs 20.3 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  ZS100 test data on DxO Mark SX50 test data on DxO Mark
  559 vs 179 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  ZS100 test data on DxO Mark SX50 test data on DxO Mark
  12.5 vs 11.2 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Thinner
  44 mm vs 105 mm
  Thinner
• Lighter weight
  309g vs 603g
  Lighter weight
• More dots on screen
  1040k vs 461k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Less shutter lag
  0.10 vs 0.48 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  20.1 vs 12.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Longer exposure
  60 vs 15 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  Unlimited vs 10 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/16000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 6400 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility