Panasonic ZS30 vs Sony A380

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Panasonic ZS30 versus Sony A380, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the ZS30 (18MP) and A380 (14MP) and the ZS30 (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) possess different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The ZS30 was manufactured 3 years after the A380 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS30 being a Compact camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a concise summary of how the ZS30 scores against the A380 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS30 Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS30 comes with outside dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) and the Sony A380 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS30 versus Sony A380 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS30 vs the A380.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS30 and A380 is 92 and 68 respectively.

Often, it is hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizes just by looking through technical specs. The picture below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS30 and A380.

As you have seen, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS30 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic ZS30 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The younger ZS30 provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.