Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A300

Its time to look more closely at the Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A300, 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 A300 (10MP) is fairly comparable but the ZS15 (1/2.3") and A300 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

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The ZS15 was released 4 years after the A300 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the ZS15 scores against the A300 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS15 enjoys external measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Sony A300 has proportions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A300 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the ZS15 versus the A300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS15 and A300 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizes merely by checking out a spec sheet. The pic below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS15 and A300.

As you can see, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS15 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic ZS15 will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer ZS15 should have an edge in sensor technology.