Panasonic ZS70 vs Sony A290

Let's take a more detailed look at the Panasonic ZS70 versus Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the ZS70 (20MP) and A290 (14MP) and the ZS70 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The ZS70 was introduced 6 years later than the A290 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the ZS70 matches up versus the A290 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS70 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS70 offers outside dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") along with a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZS70 versus Sony A290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the ZS70 compared to the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS70 and A290 is 87 and 66 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to envision the difference between sensor sizing only by going over technical specs. The photograph below will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS70 and A290.

As you have seen, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS70 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic ZS70 will deliver greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The more recent ZS70 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.