Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony A230

The following is a complete review of the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony A230, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the ZS30 (18MP) and A230 (10MP) and the ZS30 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS30 was manufactured 3 years after the A230 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the ZS30 grades against the A230 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS30 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS30 provides external measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) while the Sony A230 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS30 and Sony A230 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the ZS30 and the A230.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS30 and A230 is 92 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor dimensions merely by looking at technical specs. The pic underneath might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS30 and A230.

As you have seen, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZS30 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Panasonic ZS30 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The younger ZS30 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.