Panasonic ZS10 vs Sony A850

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS10 and Sony A850, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS10 (14MP) and A850 (25MP) and the ZS10 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) have totally different sensor size.

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The ZS10 was launched 10 months after the A850 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the ZS10 scores vs the A850 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS10 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS10 comes with physical measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony A850 has measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS10 and Sony A850 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the ZS10 compared to the A850.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS10 and A850 is 91 and 54 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizes merely by seeing specifications. The image below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS10 and A850.

To sum up, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS10 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A850 will provide extra detail utilizing its extra 11 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more modern ZS10 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.