Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A560 and Panasonic TS3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A560 has external dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31″) and weighs 599 g (1.32 lb / 21.13 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic TS3 has external dimensions of 103 x 64 x 27 mm (4.06 x 2.52 x 1.06″) and weighs 197 g (0.43 lb / 6.95 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A560 and the Panasonic TS3. Panasonic TS3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 34mm narrower, 40mm shorter and 57mm thinner than Sony A560. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic TS3 has a built-in lens but Sony A560 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A560, its thickness will increase significantly.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A560 and Panasonic TS3.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic TS3 is significantly lighter (402g ) than the Sony A560 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A560, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the TS3, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the A560.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Sony A560's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic TS3's 2.7" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Sony A560 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic TS3 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A560.