Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A57

Lets look closer at the Panasonic ZR1 versus Sony A57, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The ZR1 was manufactured 4 years prior to the A57 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a short view of how the ZR1 grades versus the A57 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 and Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZR1 offers exterior measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony A57 has sizing of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Panasonic ZR1 versus Sony A57 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the ZR1 against the A57.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR1 and A57 is 94 and 64 respectively.

Generally, its hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing simply by looking through specs. The visual underneath may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZR1 and A57.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZR1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A57 will result in more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The older ZR1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.