• 1/2.33 inch 28.2mm2
  • 14.1 megapixels
  • 24.00mm - 384.00mm (35mm eq.)
  • 1 inch 116.2mm2
  • 20.2 megapixels
  • 24.00mm - 200.00mm (35mm eq.)

Buy From

Differences

Panasonic ZS8 advantages over Sony RX10

  • Fast startup
    ~1.50 vs 2.0 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • More telephoto lens reach
    384 mm vs 200 mm
    Capture objects farther away
  • Thinner
    33 mm vs 102 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    210g vs 832g
    Lighter weight
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony RX10 advantages over Panasonic ZS8

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    1 inch vs 1/2.33 inch
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 2.41 vs 1.42 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Larger lens aperture
    f/2.8 vs f/3.3
    Take photos in low-light or isolate your subject
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • RAW file ability
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 420 vs 340 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Manual focus
    Yes vs No
    AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
  • Integrated ND filter
    Yes vs No
    Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • HDMI out
    HDMI out vs None
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    1229k vs 230k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More pixels
    20.2 vs 14.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Bulb shutter
    Bulb vs No bulb
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    10.0 fps vs 1.9 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    21 vs 3 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 6400 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Both provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Smaller than SLR/CSC with comparable lenses; Larger sensor than other bridge cameras; SLR-like body without the hassle of changing lenses; Weather-sealed; Constant f/2.8 maximum aperture; Generous zoom range; Great viewfinder; Swift performance; Plenty of enthusiast-friendly features including raw shooting; Wi-Fi and NFC wireless sharing.

  • Expensive compared to other bridge cameras; Menus respond slowly after burst shooting; Lens doesn't zoom very quickly; High ISO performance doesn't quite match RX100 II.

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic FZ1000

Panasonic ZS8
Panasonic FZ1000
  • $259
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • Thinner
  • Lighter weight
  • $773
  • 1 inch
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Focus peaking
Sony RX10
Panasonic FZ1000
  • $698
  • 1 inch
  • Top deck display
  • Integrated ND filter
  • $773
  • 1 inch
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Shoot 4K video

Compared to Panasonic ZS10

Panasonic ZS8
Panasonic ZS10
  • $259
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • Less expensive
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $214
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • Touchscreen
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
Sony RX10
Panasonic ZS10
  • $698
  • 1 inch
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $214
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • Touchscreen
  • More telephoto lens reach

Compared to Panasonic ZS15

Panasonic ZS8
Panasonic ZS15
  • $259
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • Longer stills battery life
  • More pixels
  • $273
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • HDMI out
  • More dots on screen
Sony RX10
Panasonic ZS15
  • $698
  • 1 inch
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $273
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • Thinner

Compared to Sony H90

Panasonic ZS8
Sony H90
  • $259
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • Longer exposure
  • Faster JPEG shooting
  • $223
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • More dots on screen
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
Sony RX10
Sony H90
  • $698
  • 1 inch
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $223
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • Thinner

Compared to Sony RX10 II

Panasonic ZS8
Sony RX10 II
  • $259
  • 1/2.33 inch
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • Thinner
  • $998
  • 1 inch
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony RX10
Sony RX10 II
  • $698
  • 1 inch
  • Less expensive
  • $998
  • 1 inch
  • Shoot 4K video
  • Higher effective ISO
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