Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A550

Following is a thorough analysis of the Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A550, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and A550 (14MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and A550 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The ZS1 was brought out 6 months before the A550 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the ZS1 scores vs the A550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS1 has got outside measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A550 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS1 and the A550.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS1 and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes merely by looking at specifications. The pic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS1 and A550.

Plainly, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS1 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A550 will give extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs much more aggressively.