Panasonic ZS5 vs Sony A68

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony A68, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS5 (12MP) and A68 (24MP) and the ZS5 (1/2.3") and A68 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The ZS5 was announced 6 years before the A68 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera and the Sony A68 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick overview of how the ZS5 grades against the A68 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 & Sony SLT-A68. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS5 Gallery & Sony A68 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS5 offers outside 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) while the Sony A68 has sizing of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 610 grams (1.34 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZS5 and Sony A68 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the ZS5 compared to the A68.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS5 and A68 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to see the difference in sensor dimensions merely by seeing specifications. The image here should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS5 and A68.

Plainly, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS5 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A68 will provide more detail with its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged ZS5 will be behind in sensor technology.