Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony A380

Below, we will be evaluating the Panasonic ZS40 and Sony A380, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and A380 (14MP) and the ZS40 (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) use different sensor size.

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The ZS40 was introduced 4 years after the A380 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the ZS40 matches up versus the A380 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS40 has got physical dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) while the Sony A380 has proportions 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 ZS40 and Sony A380 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is the front view scale comparison of the ZS40 against the A380.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the ZS40 and A380 is 90 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions only by researching specifications. The image below should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS40 and A380.

Plainly, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS40 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS40 will result in greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots much more aggressively. The more recent ZS40 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.