Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony A99 II

Here, we are analyzing the Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony A99 II, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS30 (18MP) and A99 II (42MP) and the ZS30 (1/2.3") and A99 II (Full frame) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The ZS30 was released 4 years earlier than the A99 II which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a short summary of how the ZS30 grades vs the A99 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 and Sony Alpha A99 II. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS30 Gallery and Sony A99 II Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS30 features outside dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) while the Sony A99 II has specifications of 143mm x 104mm x 76mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.0") with a weight of 849 grams (1.87 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony A99 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the ZS30 versus the A99 II.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS30 and A99 II is 92 and 57 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes purely by reading through technical specs. The image underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS30 and A99 II.

As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS30 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A99 II will give you more detail as a result of its extra 24 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged ZS30 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.