Panasonic TS1 vs Sony A580

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic TS1 and Sony A580, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the TS1 (12MP) and A580 (16MP) and the TS1 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The TS1 was manufactured 3 years prior to the A580 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic TS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the TS1 grades vs the A580 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic TS1 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic TS1 has outer dimensions of 98mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") and a weight of 189 grams (0.42 lbs) and the Sony A580 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic TS1 and Sony A580 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the TS1 and the A580.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TS1 and A580 is 93 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements purely by seeing specs. The visual underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TS1 and A580.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TS1 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A580 will provide more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older TS1 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.