Panasonic ZS80 vs Sony A580

Lets look a bit more closely at the Panasonic ZS80 versus Sony A580, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and A580 (16MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was revealed 6 years later than the A580 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the ZS80 matches up versus the A580 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery and Sony A580 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS80 has got outside measurements 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 A580 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS80 versus Sony A580 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS80 and the A580.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS80 and A580 is 86 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to envision the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The photograph underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS80 and A580.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS80 using its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Panasonic ZS80 will give more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The younger ZS80 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.