Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony NEX-C3

Let's look more closely at the Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony NEX-C3, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the ZS200 (20MP) and NEX-C3 (16MP) and the ZS200 (1") and NEX-C3 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

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The ZS200 was revealed 6 years after the NEX-C3 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick view of how the ZS200 grades against the NEX-C3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 & Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS200 Gallery & Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

In case you're planning to travel with your camera, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS200 features exterior measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-C3 has dimensions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS200 vs Sony NEX-C3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the ZS200 vs the NEX-C3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS200 and NEX-C3 is 86 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading through technical specs. The image below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS200 and NEX-C3.

As you have seen, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS200 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS200 will resolve extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more recent ZS200 provides a benefit in sensor technology.