Panasonic ZS80 vs Sigma SD15

The following is a extended analysis of the Panasonic ZS80 and Sigma SD15, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sigma. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and SD15 (5MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and SD15 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was launched 8 years after the SD15 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD15 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the ZS80 grades versus the SD15 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Sigma SD15. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Sigma SD15 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS80 provides external measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") along with a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD15 has dimensions of 144mm x 107mm x 81mm (5.7" x 4.2" x 3.2") with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS80 and Sigma SD15 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view scale comparison of the ZS80 compared to the SD15.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS80 and SD15 is 86 and 59 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS80 and SD15.

Clearly, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS80 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide you with greater detail utilizing its extra 15 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more modern ZS80 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.