Sony WX10 vs Panasonic ZS50 Comparison

Camera to replace

Change

Sony WX10

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

CHECK PRICE

Change

Panasonic ZS50

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

CHECK PRICE

Sony WX10 vs Panasonic ZS50 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Sony and Panasonic. Sony WX10 was introduced to market in January 2011 and Panasonic ZS50 was launched in January 2015. As you can see, WX10 is 4 years older than ZS50. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Sony WX10 has a 16.0 MP and Panasonic ZS50 has a 12.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony WX10 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-01-06

16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 3200

24-168 mm F2.4-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.8" Fixed Type Screen

10 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

161g. 95 x 54 x 23 mm

Panasonic ZS50 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-01-06

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

24-720 mm F3.3-6.4 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1166k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

243g. 111 x 65 x 34 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ70

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45 Compare

Panasonic ZS50 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 (Lumix DMC-TZ70)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 12 MP	33% more pixels
Weight	161 g vs 243 g	82 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	2.40 vs 3.30	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	5.90 vs 6.40	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	7.1m vs 6.4m	0.7m longer range

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected	Better connectivity
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max ISO	6.400 vs 3.200	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 9	14 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.8"	0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 460k dots	126% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1600s	faster mechanical shutter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele	720mm vs 168mm	552 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	30x vs 7×	more flexible focal coverage
Sensor Pixel Area	2.34µm² vs 1.76µm²	32% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 10.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 24mm	Very good wide angle coverage

Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	5.90 vs 6.40	Slow lenses at tele

Sony WX10 vs Panasonic ZS50: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony WX10 has external dimensions of 95 x 54 x 23 mm (3.74 x 2.13 x 0.91″) and weighs 161 g (0.35 lb / 5.68 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic ZS50 has external dimensions of 111 x 65 x 34 mm (4.37 x 2.56 x 1.34″) and weighs 243 g (0.54 lb / 8.57 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50. Sony WX10 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 16mm narrower, 11mm shorter and 11mm thinner than Panasonic ZS50.

Comparison image of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50.

Comparison image of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50.

Top View Comparison image of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony WX10 is significantly lighter (82g ) than the Panasonic ZS50 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

WX10

ZS50

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

WX10

ZS50

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 (Lumix DMC-TZ70) provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic ZS50's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony WX10's 2.8" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Sony WX10 vs Panasonic ZS50: Sensor Comparison

Sony WX10 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features BIONZ processor. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS50 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the WX10 and ZS50 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 Cameras

Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Panasonic ZS50 has 32% larger pixel area (2.34µm² vs 1.76µm²) compared to Sony WX10, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Sony WX10 vs Panasonic ZS50 Lens Specs Comparison

Sony WX10 features a 24-168 mm F2.4-5.9 7× zoom lens whereas Panasonic ZS50 features a 24-720 mm F3.3-6.4 30x zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 24mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.40, Sony WX10 is faster than Panasonic ZS50 at this focal length. On the tele end, Panasonic ZS50 has 552mm longer telezoom reach than the Sony WX10. However, with a max aperture of f5.90, Sony WX10 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

WX10

ZS50

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

WX10

ZS50

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

WX10

ZS50

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

WX10

ZS50

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony WX10 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Panasonic ZS50 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony WX10 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic ZS50 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.40
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Sony WX10 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic ZS50 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
168 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
720 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
Read the details

Sony WX10 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic ZS50 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
161g
7.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
243g
30.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Sony WX10 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic ZS50 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony WX10 vs Panasonic ZS50: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony WX10 and Panasonic ZS50 scores compare:

Sony WX10

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #201 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #776 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS50

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #17 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #332 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Panasonic ZS50 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony WX10 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Sony WX10. Otherwise, Panasonic ZS50 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS50 vs Sony WX10 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10	Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50
Brand	Sony	Panasonic
Announced	2011-01-06	2015-01-06
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-168 mm (7×)	24-720 mm (30x)
Max Aperture	F2.4-5.9	F3.3-6.4
Macro Focus Range	5cm	3cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.8"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	1,166k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.46x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1600s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	7.10 m	6.40 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	161g	243g
Dimensions	95 x 54 x 23mm	111 x 65 x 34mm
Battery Life	n/a	300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	44
DxO Color Depth	not tested	20.0
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.2
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	138
	Report a correction	Report a correction