Panasonic S1 vs Sony A58

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic S1 versus Sony A58, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the S1 (24MP) and the A58 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the S1 (Full frame) and A58 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The S1 was announced 5 years after the A58 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the S1 grades versus the A58 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 & Sony SLT-A58. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic S1 Gallery & Sony A58 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic S1 enjoys external dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") accompanied by a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs) while the Sony A58 has sizing of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") with a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

See the Panasonic S1 versus Sony A58 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the S1 and the A58.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the S1 and A58 is 54 and 68 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes merely by checking technical specs. The pic below will give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S1 and A58.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S1 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic S1 will give you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The younger S1 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.