Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony A450

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony A450, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and A450 (14MP) and the ZS40 (1/2.3") and A450 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS40 was manufactured 4 years later than the A450 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Sony A450 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short view of how the ZS40 grades versus the A450 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A450. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery & Sony A450 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS40 provides exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) and the Sony A450 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony A450 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the ZS40 versus the A450.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the ZS40 and A450 is 90 and 65 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing specs. The graphic below may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS40 and A450.

All in all, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS40 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic ZS40 will render more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The fresher ZS40 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.