Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A290

Below, we are looking at the Panasonic ZS15 versus Sony A290, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZS15 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the ZS15 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS15 was revealed 2 years after the A290 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the ZS15 matches up versus the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS15 provides physical measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) while the Sony A290 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS15 versus Sony A290 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the ZS15 vs the A290.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS15 and A290 is 92 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading through technical specs. The pic below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS15 and A290.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZS15 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A290 will give greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The newer ZS15 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.