Panasonic ZS50 vs Sony A300

Let's look closer at the Panasonic ZS50 and Sony A300, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The resolution of the ZS50 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is fairly close but the ZS50 (1/2.3") and A300 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS50 was launched 7 years later than the A300 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the ZS50 scores versus the A300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS50 Gallery & Sony A300 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS50 provides physical measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Sony A300 has proportions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS50 and Sony A300 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the ZS50 vs the A300.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS50 and A300 is 90 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizing purely by viewing technical specs. The graphic below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS50 and A300.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS50 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZS50 will result in more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The younger ZS50 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.