Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A700

Below is a extended overview of the Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A700, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the FZ80 (18MP) and A700 (12MP) and the FZ80 (1/2.3") and A700 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The FZ80 was introduced 9 years later than the A700 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summation of how the FZ80 scores against the A700 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic FZ80 Gallery & Sony A700 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic FZ80 features outer dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) and the Sony A700 has measurements of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

See the Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A700 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the FZ80 versus the A700.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the FZ80 and A700 is 63 and 58 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements merely by looking at specifications. The photograph below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the FZ80 and A700.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The FZ80 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic FZ80 will give you extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The fresher FZ80 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.