Panasonic ZS50 vs Sony A850

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS50 vs Sony A850, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS50 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the ZS50 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor size.

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The ZS50 was released 4 years later than the A850 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a full comparison, below is a short introduction of how the ZS50 grades versus the A850 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS50 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS50 enjoys external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has specifications of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic ZS50 vs Sony A850 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the ZS50 compared to the A850.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS50 and A850 is 90 and 54 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by going through a spec sheet. The visual below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS50 and A850.

As you can see, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS50 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Sony A850 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 13MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more recent ZS50 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.