Panasonic ZS80 vs Sony A290

Below, we are evaluating the Panasonic ZS80 vs Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and A290 (14MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was brought out 7 years later than the A290 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a brief summation of how the ZS80 matches up versus the A290 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS80 features outer measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") and a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS80 vs Sony A290 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select during that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the ZS80 versus the A290.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the ZS80 and A290 is 86 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements just by checking technical specs. The photograph here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS80 and A290.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS80 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZS80 will give greater detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more recent ZS80 provides a benefit in sensor tech.