Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A57

Its time to take a closer look at the Panasonic ZS20 versus Sony A57, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the ZS20 (14MP) and the A57 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the ZS20 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS20 was unveiled 4 months prior to the A57 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the ZS20 matches up vs the A57 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 and Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS20 provides external measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Sony A57 has specifications of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS20 versus Sony A57 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the ZS20 compared to the A57.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS20 and A57 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to see the gap between sensor sizes only by reading through technical specs. The pic below may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS20 and A57.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS20 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A57 will give you greater detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images way more aggressively.