Panasonic S3 vs Sony A330

Below is a thorough assessment of the Panasonic S3 versus Sony A330, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the S3 (14MP) and A330 (10MP) and the S3 (1/2.3") and A330 (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The S3 was manufactured 20 months later than the A330 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the S3 scores vs the A330 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic S3 Gallery and Sony A330 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S3 has got outer measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Sony A330 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic S3 versus Sony A330 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the S3 compared to the A330.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S3 and A330 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements purely by going over a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the S3 and A330.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The S3 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic S3 will offer greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more recent S3 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.