Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A9

On this page, we will be looking at the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A9, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and A9 (24MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) posses different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The ZR1 was brought out 8 years prior to the A9 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a short summation of how the ZR1 matches up vs the A9 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 & Sony Alpha A9. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZR1 has physical measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony A9 has dimensions of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") along with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A9 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the ZR1 against the A9.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZR1 and A9 is 94 and 65 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reading through specifications. The pic underneath may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZR1 and A9.

Plainly, both of those cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZR1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A9 will give extra detail having its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged ZR1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.