Panasonic FZ40 vs Sony A330

Following is a complete review of the Panasonic FZ40 and Sony A330, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the FZ40 (14MP) and A330 (10MP) and the FZ40 (1/2.3") and A330 (APS-C) possess different sensor sizing.

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The FZ40 was released 15 months after the A330 making the cameras a generation away from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the FZ40 scores against the A330 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic FZ40 Gallery & Sony A330 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic FZ40 enjoys external dimensions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") with a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs) while the Sony A330 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic FZ40 and Sony A330 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the FZ40 versus the A330.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FZ40 and A330 is 68 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes purely by looking at technical specs. The picture underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the FZ40 and A330.

As you have seen, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The FZ40 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic FZ40 will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent FZ40 should have a benefit in sensor innovation.