Panasonic ZS60 vs Sony A390

Here, we will be looking at the Panasonic ZS60 and Sony A390, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the ZS60 (18MP) and A390 (14MP) and the ZS60 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

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The ZS60 was announced 5 years after the A390 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS60 being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ZS60 grades against the A390 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS60 Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS60 has outer dimensions of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs) whilst the Sony A390 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS60 and Sony A390 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the ZS60 and the A390.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the ZS60 and A390 is 88 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through a spec sheet. The pic here should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS60 and A390.

Clearly, both cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The ZS60 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZS60 will give you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The fresher ZS60 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.