Panasonic ZS40 vs Sony A500

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic ZS40 versus Sony A500, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the ZS40 (18MP) and A500 (12MP) and the ZS40 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

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The ZS40 was unveiled 4 years after the A500 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the ZS40 grades versus the A500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS40 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS40 provides outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) and the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS40 versus Sony A500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the ZS40 against the A500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the ZS40 and A500 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Often, its tough to envision the difference between sensor sizes purely by going over specs. The pic here will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS40 and A500.

All in all, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS40 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic ZS40 will offer you extra detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The more recent ZS40 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.