Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A100

Lets look a little more closely at the Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A100, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the ZS15 (12MP) and the A100 (10MP) is very similar but the ZS15 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The ZS15 was brought out 6 years after the A100 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a quick overview of how the ZS15 grades against the A100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS15 features external dimensions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) whilst the Sony A100 has proportions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A100 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the ZS15 against the A100.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the ZS15 and A100 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading specs. The image underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS15 and A100.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS15 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZS15 will offer you greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The fresher ZS15 should have an edge in sensor innovation.