Panasonic ZS80 vs Sony A100

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic ZS80 and Sony A100, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and A100 (10MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS80 was revealed 11 years later than the A100 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the ZS80 grades vs the A100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS80 offers physical dimensions of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") having a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Sony A100 has sizing of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS80 and Sony A100 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the ZS80 against the A100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS80 and A100 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizing just by reviewing specs. The graphic here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS80 and A100.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS80 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Panasonic ZS80 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more recent ZS80 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.