Nikon L820 vs Sony ZV-1

The following is a thorough review of the Nikon L820 vs Sony ZV-1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. The sensor resolution of the L820 (16MP) and the ZV-1 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the L820 (1/2.3") and ZV-1 (1") feature totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The L820 was revealed 8 years before the ZV-1 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Nikon L820 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony ZV-1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the L820 matches up against the ZV-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix L820 and Sony ZV-1. The full galleries are available at Nikon L820 Gallery and Sony ZV-1 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Nikon L820 has external measurements of 111mm x 76mm x 85mm (4.4" x 3.0" x 3.3") having a weight of 470 grams (1.04 lbs) while the Sony ZV-1 has specifications of 105mm x 60mm x 44mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.7") and a weight of 294 grams (0.65 lbs).

Look at the Nikon L820 vs Sony ZV-1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the L820 and the ZV-1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L820 and ZV-1 is 72 and 88 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions merely by looking at a spec sheet. The image here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the L820 and ZV-1.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The L820 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony ZV-1 will give greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged L820 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.