Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A100

Here, we are contrasting the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the ZS20 (14MP) and A100 (10MP) and the ZS20 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS20 was introduced 5 years later than the A100 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short introduction of how the ZS20 scores versus the A100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS20 enjoys physical dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Sony A100 has specifications of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the ZS20 vs the A100.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS20 and A100 is 92 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements purely by looking at technical specs. The graphic underneath may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS20 and A100.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The ZS20 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic ZS20 will give more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more modern ZS20 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.