Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A290

Let's look a bit more closely at the Panasonic ZS100 versus Sony A290, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and A290 (14MP) and the ZS100 (1") and A290 (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The ZS100 was manufactured 5 years later than the A290 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the ZS100 scores versus the A290 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS100 enjoys outer measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS100 versus Sony A290 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS100 against the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS100 and A290 is 87 and 66 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing only by reading specifications. The graphic below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS100 and A290.

Plainly, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS100 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic ZS100 will offer you extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The more recent ZS100 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.