Panasonic ZS80 vs Sony NEX-6

Let's look more in depth at the Panasonic ZS80 and Sony NEX-6, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZS80 (20MP) and NEX-6 (16MP) and the ZS80 (1/2.3") and NEX-6 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The ZS80 was launched 4 years after the NEX-6 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple view of how the ZS80 grades versus the NEX-6 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80 & Sony Alpha NEX-6. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS80 Gallery & Sony NEX-6 Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS80 has got outer measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") with a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony NEX-6 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 345 grams (0.76 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZS80 and Sony NEX-6 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the ZS80 versus the NEX-6.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the ZS80 and NEX-6 is 86 and 85 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions just by looking through specs. The image below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS80 and NEX-6.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS80 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The younger ZS80 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.