Nikon Z50 vs Panasonic ZR1

Below is a thorough review of the Nikon Z50 and Panasonic ZR1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the Z50 (21MP) and ZR1 (12MP) and the Z50 (APS-C) and ZR1 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The Z50 was released 10 years later than the ZR1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Nikon Z50 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the Z50 matches up against the ZR1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Z50 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The complete galleries are provided at Nikon Z50 Gallery and Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Nikon Z50 has exterior measurements of 127mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.4") with a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR1 has measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon Z50 and Panasonic ZR1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view size comparison of the Z50 compared to the ZR1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the Z50 and ZR1 is 74 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by reviewing technical specs. The graphic below will give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the Z50 and ZR1.

As you can tell, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The Z50 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Nikon Z50 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics more aggressively. The more recent Z50 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.