Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A350

Here is a thorough analysis of the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A350, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. The image resolution of the ZR1 (12MP) and the A350 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the ZR1 (1/2.3") and A350 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

The ZR1 was announced 14 months later than the A350 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise overview of how the ZR1 scores against the A350 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery & Sony A350 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZR1 enjoys outside dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony A350 has measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A350 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the ZR1 and the A350.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZR1 and A350 is 94 and 62 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by checking out a spec sheet. The visual underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the ZR1 and A350.

As you can see, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZR1 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A350 will show more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern ZR1 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.