Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A350

Here, we are contrasting the Panasonic ZS5 versus Sony A350, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS5 (12MP) and the A350 (14MP) is very comparable but the ZS5 (1/2.3") and A350 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS5 was launched 2 years later than the A350 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the ZS5 scores vs the A350 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery & Sony A350 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS5 enjoys 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) whilst the Sony A350 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS5 versus Sony A350 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the ZS5 versus the A350.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS5 and A350 is 92 and 62 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing just by going through technical specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS5 and A350.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS5 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A350 will show extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more recent ZS5 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.