Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony A6500

Here is a thorough overview of the Panasonic ZS1 and Sony A6500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the ZS1 (10MP) and A6500 (24MP) and the ZS1 (1/2.5") and A6500 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS1 was launched 8 years earlier than the A6500 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the ZS1 scores against the A6500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 & Sony Alpha a6500. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS1 Gallery & Sony A6500 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS1 comes with outer measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony A6500 has proportions of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS1 and Sony A6500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the ZS1 against the A6500.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS1 and A6500 is 91 and 81 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing merely by checking out specifications. The visual below may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS1 and A6500.

Plainly, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS1 because of its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more difficult and the Sony A6500 will show more detail utilizing its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older ZS1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.