Panasonic ZR1 vs Sony A77

Here, we will be evaluating the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A77, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ZR1 (12MP) and A77 (24MP) and the ZR1 (1/2.3") and A77 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

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The ZR1 was introduced 3 years before the A77 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A77 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the ZR1 matches up against the A77 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 and Sony SLT-A77. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZR1 Gallery and Sony A77 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZR1 has got outside dimensions 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 A77 has proportions of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 732 grams (1.61 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZR1 and Sony A77 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the ZR1 and the A77.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR1 and A77 is 94 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by seeing specifications. The photograph below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZR1 and A77.

Plainly, both of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZR1 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A77 will show extra detail using its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older ZR1 will be behind in sensor tech.