Canon A490 vs Panasonic ZS10

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Canon A490 and Panasonic ZS10, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Canon and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the A490 (10MP) and ZS10 (14MP) but they come with the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The A490 was launched 12 months before the ZS10 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the A490 grades against the ZS10 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot A490 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10. The complete galleries are provided at Canon A490 Gallery and Panasonic ZS10 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Canon A490 features outside dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") and a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS10 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Canon A490 and Panasonic ZS10 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the A490 against the ZS10.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A490 and ZS10 is 93 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing technical specs. The graphic here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the A490 and ZS10.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Panasonic ZS10 to produce more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older A490 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.