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Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100

Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 front
Portability
64
Imaging
48
Features
38
Overall
44

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Key Specs

Panasonic ZR1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-200mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 158g - 98 x 55 x 26mm
  • Introduced July 2009
  • Also Known as Lumix DMC-ZX1
Sony A100
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 638g - 133 x 95 x 71mm
  • Released July 2006
  • Replaced the Konica Minolta 5D
  • Later Model is Sony A550
Photography Glossary

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Overview

Following is a extensive overview of the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A100, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZR1 (12MP) and the A100 (10MP) is relatively comparable but the ZR1 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The ZR1 was revealed 3 years after the A100 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a concise summation of how the ZR1 scores versus the A100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic ZR1 over the Sony A100

 ZR1 A100 
ReleasedJuly 2009July 2006More modern by 37 months
Screen dimensions2.7"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.2")

Reasons to pick Sony A100 over the Panasonic ZR1

 A100 ZR1 
Manually focus Very exact focus

Common features in the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A100

 ZR1 A100 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen resolution230k230kEqual screen resolution
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch screen Missing Touch screen

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZR1 enjoys external measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Sony A100 has dimensions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") having a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the ZR1 against the A100.

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR1 and A100 is 94 and 64 respectively.

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes purely by seeing specifications. The picture underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the ZR1 and A100.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The ZR1 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Panasonic ZR1 will provide more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The fresher ZR1 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 sensor size comparison

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Portrait photography advice
Sony A100 Portrait photography advice
21
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
cannot use external flash
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
52
manual focus
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
no liveview feature
low megapixels (10MP)
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Street Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Street photography information
Sony A100 Street photography information
56
image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
64
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
screen does not articulate
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Panasonic ZR1
Sports photography with Sony A100
25
image stabilization (Optical)
max fps low (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority
low resolution sensor (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
no liveview feature
slow frames per second (3.0 frames/s)
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Travel photography information
Sony A100 Travel photography information
57
flash built-in
reasonably wide (25mm)
doesn't have Timelapse function
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
45
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse recording
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Landscape photography highlights
Sony A100 Landscape photography highlights
32
reasonably wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7 inches)
lack of manual exposure
low resolution sensor (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
doesn't have Timelapse function
53
manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
screen is somewhat small (2.5")
no liveview feature
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Panasonic ZR1
Vlogging with Sony A100
28
reasonably wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have external microphone support
9
lack of video recording
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Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A100 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A100
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
General Information
Brand Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Other name Lumix DMC-ZX1 -
Category Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2009-07-27 2006-07-31
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip Venus Engine V -
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.6 x 15.8mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 372.9mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 10 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest resolution 4000 x 3000 3872 x 2592
Highest native ISO 6400 1600
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 11 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 25-200mm (8.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.3-5.9 -
Macro focusing range 3cm -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 2.7 inches 2.5 inches
Screen resolution 230k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 2.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 5.10 m -
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) -
Highest video resolution 1280x720 None
Video data format Motion JPEG -
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 158g (0.35 lb) 638g (1.41 lb)
Physical dimensions 98 x 55 x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") 133 x 95 x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 61
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.0
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.2
DXO Low light rating not tested 476
Other
Battery ID - NP-FM55H
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC card, Internal Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Storage slots Single Single
Launch pricing $280 $1,000