Sony A850 vs Panasonic ZS50

Sony A850 advantages over Panasonic ZS50

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs 1/2.3 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 5.94 vs 1.54 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  A850 test data on DxO Mark ZS50 test data on DxO Mark
  23.8 vs 20.0 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  A850 test data on DxO Mark ZS50 test data on DxO Mark
  1,415 vs 138 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  880 vs 300 shots
  Capture more photos
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.74x vs 0.46x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  24.6 vs 12.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  23 vs 6 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light