Panasonic ZS10 vs Sony A57

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS10 and Sony A57, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZS10 (14MP) and the A57 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the ZS10 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The ZS10 was revealed 19 months before the A57 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the ZS10 scores vs the A57 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 & Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS10 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS10 features exterior dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony A57 has specifications of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS10 and Sony A57 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS10 versus the A57.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS10 and A57 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing simply by checking out specifications. The photograph underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS10 and A57.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS10 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A57 will produce greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older ZS10 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.