Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony A100

In this write-up, we are comparing the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony A100, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the ZS30 (18MP) and A100 (10MP) and the ZS30 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The ZS30 was released 6 years after the A100 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the ZS30 matches up vs the A100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS30 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS30 provides outside measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) and the Sony A100 has sizing of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony A100 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the ZS30 against the A100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the ZS30 and A100 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions purely by checking technical specs. The image here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS30 and A100.

As you can tell, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ZS30 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS30 will give more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images a little more aggressively. The fresher ZS30 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.