Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony A7R IV

Below is a extended assessment of the Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony A7R IV, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the ZR3 (14MP) and A7R IV (61MP) and the ZR3 (1/2.3") and A7R IV (Full frame) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The ZR3 was released 10 years prior to the A7R IV and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A7R IV being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the ZR3 scores versus the A7R IV when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 and Sony Alpha A7R IV. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZR3 Gallery and Sony A7R IV Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZR3 provides outer measurements of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony A7R IV has measurements of 129mm x 96mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 665 grams (1.47 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZR3 vs Sony A7R IV in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the ZR3 versus the A7R IV.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the ZR3 and A7R IV is 94 and 62 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by viewing specs. The visual here might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the ZR3 and A7R IV.

All in all, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZR3 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A7R IV will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 47MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older ZR3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.