Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony A350

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic ZS200 versus Sony A350, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS200 (20MP) and A350 (14MP) and the ZS200 (1") and A350 (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The ZS200 was brought out 9 years after the A350 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the ZS200 grades versus the A350 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery and Sony A350 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS200 comes with exterior dimensions of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") along with a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Sony A350 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS200 versus Sony A350 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS200 compared to the A350.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the ZS200 and A350 is 86 and 62 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching technical specs. The picture underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS200 and A350.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ZS200 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic ZS200 will render more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The fresher ZS200 should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.