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Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3

Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
17
Overall
27
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-F3 front
Portability
86
Imaging
57
Features
60
Overall
58

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 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
  • Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-ZX1
Sony NEX-F3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 314g - 117 x 67 x 42mm
  • Revealed August 2012
  • Superseded the Sony NEX-C3
  • Successor is Sony NEX-3N
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Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 Overview

On this page, we are analyzing the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony NEX-F3, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and NEX-F3 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

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The ZR1 was brought out 4 years earlier than the NEX-F3 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the ZR1 grades versus the NEX-F3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Panasonic ZR1 over the Sony NEX-F3

 ZR1 NEX-F3 

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-F3 over the Panasonic ZR1

 NEX-F3 ZR1 
RevealedAugust 2012July 2009Newer by 37 months
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution920k230kSharper display (+690k dot)

Common features in the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony NEX-F3

 ZR1 NEX-F3 
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly display Lacking Touch friendly display

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZR1 offers outside dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-F3 has dimensions of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Examine the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony NEX-F3 in our newest 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 employing at that moment. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the ZR1 compared to the NEX-F3.

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZR1 and NEX-F3 is 94 and 86 respectively.

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 top view buttons comparison

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it is tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by checking a spec sheet. The image here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZR1 and NEX-F3.

As you can see, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZR1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony NEX-F3 will give greater detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged ZR1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 sensor size comparison

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 Screen and ViewFinder

Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Panasonic ZR1
Portrait photography with Sony NEX-F3
20
no manual focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
74
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 as a Street photography camera
Sony NEX-F3 as a Street photography camera
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
76
screen tilts up and down
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Sports photography features
Sony NEX-F3 Sports photography features
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
max fps very slow (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
53
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
good battery pack (470 shots)
very slow continuous shooting (6.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Travel photography features
Sony NEX-F3 Travel photography features
57
built-in flash
reasonably wide (25mm)
lack of Timelapse function
low resolution sensor (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
69
good battery pack (470 per charge)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse recording
does not posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Panasonic ZR1
Landscape photography with Sony NEX-F3
32
reasonably wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
small screen (2.7 inches)
no manual control
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
lack of Timelapse function
70
focusing manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
good battery pack (470 shots)
does not have image stabilization
lack of Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZR1 Vlogging factors
Sony NEX-F3 Vlogging factors
28
reasonably wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
lack of microphone support
27
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
lack of external mic socket
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Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony NEX-F3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Panasonic ZR1 and Sony NEX-F3
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1Sony Alpha NEX-F3
General Information
Company Panasonic Sony
Model type Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 Sony Alpha NEX-F3
Also called as Lumix DMC-ZX1 -
Category Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2009-07-27 2012-08-16
Physical type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by Venus Engine V Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 6400 16000
Min native ISO 80 200
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 11 25
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 25-200mm (8.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.3-5.9 -
Macro focusing distance 3cm -
Number of lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 2.7" 3"
Screen resolution 230 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Screen technology - TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic (optional)
Features
Min shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Max shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 2.0 frames per sec 6.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 5.10 m -
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 158 gr (0.35 lb) 314 gr (0.69 lb)
Physical dimensions 98 x 55 x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") 117 x 67 x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 73
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.7
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 1114
Other
Battery life - 470 photos
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC card, Internal SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Launch cost $280 $470