Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A330

On this page, we are contrasting the Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A330, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS5 (12MP) and the A330 (10MP) is very close but the ZS5 (1/2.3") and A330 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS5 was announced 14 months after the A330 making them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summation of how the ZS5 scores against the A330 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery and Sony A330 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS5 features exterior dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Sony A330 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A330 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the ZS5 compared to the A330.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the ZS5 and A330 is 92 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes only by researching specifications. The pic below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS5 and A330.

To sum up, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZS5 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZS5 will result in more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The younger ZS5 will have an edge in sensor tech.