Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony A550

Here is a thorough review of the Panasonic ZS45 and Sony A550, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZS45 (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is fairly close but the ZS45 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

The ZS45 was unveiled 5 years later than the A550 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the ZS45 matches up vs the A550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS45 enjoys external dimensions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS45 and Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the ZS45 vs the A550.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS45 and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The graphic below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS45 and A550.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS45 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic ZS45 will provide you with more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The newer ZS45 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.