Panasonic ZS7 vs Sony A550

Its time to look closer at the Panasonic ZS7 vs Sony A550, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZS7 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very well matched but the ZS7 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The ZS7 was brought out 20 months later than the A550 making them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the ZS7 matches up vs the A550 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS7 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS7 features outer dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZS7 vs Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the ZS7 and the A550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS7 and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZS7 and A550.

Clearly, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS7 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A550 will give you more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The more recent ZS7 will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.