Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A65

Below is a thorough overview of the Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A65, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and A65 (24MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and A65 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS1 was announced 3 years earlier than the A65 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief overview of how the ZS1 matches up versus the A65 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 & Sony SLT-A65. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery & Sony A65 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS1 comes with outer measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony A65 has sizing of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A65 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the ZS1 versus the A65.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS1 and A65 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS1 and A65.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS1 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A65 will provide more detail with its extra 14 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The older ZS1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.