Panasonic XS1 vs Sony A330

On this page, we will be contrasting the Panasonic XS1 and Sony A330, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the XS1 (16MP) and A330 (10MP) and the XS1 (1/2.3") and A330 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The XS1 was announced 3 years later than the A330 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the XS1 grades vs the A330 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic XS1 Gallery & Sony A330 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic XS1 features outside measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs) while the Sony A330 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic XS1 and Sony A330 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the XS1 against the A330.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XS1 and A330 is 97 and 67 respectively.

Generally, its hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by checking out specs. The graphic below may give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the XS1 and A330.

All in all, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The XS1 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic XS1 will show greater detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The fresher XS1 is going to have a benefit in sensor technology.