Panasonic L1 vs Sony A7R

Let's take a closer look at the Panasonic L1 vs Sony A7R, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the L1 (7MP) and A7R (36MP) and the L1 (Four Thirds) and A7R (Full frame) offer totally different sensor size.

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The L1 was launched 7 years prior to the A7R and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic L1 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A7R being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a short highlight of how the L1 scores vs the A7R in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and Sony Alpha A7R. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic L1 Gallery and Sony A7R Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Panasonic L1 comes with physical measurements of 146mm x 87mm x 77mm (5.7" x 3.4" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs) whilst the Sony A7R has specifications of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") having a weight of 465 grams (1.03 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic L1 vs Sony A7R in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the L1 vs the A7R.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the L1 and A7R is 65 and 78 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by going through specifications. The photograph here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the L1 and A7R.

To sum up, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The L1 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A7R will provide more detail utilizing its extra 29 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older L1 will be behind in sensor innovation.