Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony A100

Following is a in-depth review of the Panasonic ZS40 versus Sony A100, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and A100 (10MP) and the ZS40 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The ZS40 was revealed 7 years after the A100 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the ZS40 grades against the A100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS40 enjoys physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) whilst 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 ZS40 versus Sony A100 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the ZS40 versus the A100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS40 and A100 is 90 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes simply by checking specifications. The picture below should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS40 and A100.

To sum up, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS40 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic ZS40 will give you greater detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos much more aggressively. The younger ZS40 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.