Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony A58

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic ZS200 and Sony A58, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZS200 (20MP) and the A58 (20MP) is pretty similar but the ZS200 (1") and A58 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The ZS200 was announced 4 years later than the A58 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short introduction of how the ZS200 scores vs the A58 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 and Sony SLT-A58. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS200 features exterior dimensions of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") having a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) while the Sony A58 has specifications of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") along with a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS200 and Sony A58 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the ZS200 compared to the A58.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS200 and A58 is 86 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by going over specs. The graphic underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS200 and A58.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras provide the same megapixels albeit different sensor measurements. The ZS200 contains the tinier sensor which is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult. The newer ZS200 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.