Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony A850

Let's examine more in depth at the Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony A850, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the ZS45 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the ZS45 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) use different sensor dimensions.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The ZS45 was introduced 4 years after the A850 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the ZS45 grades against the A850 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS45 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS45 features physical dimensions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Sony A850 has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS45 vs Sony A850 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the ZS45 versus the A850.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS45 and A850 is 91 and 54 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizes only by researching specs. The image here will give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS45 and A850.

As you can plainly see, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS45 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A850 will result in greater detail using its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern ZS45 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.