Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A9

In this article, we are analyzing the Panasonic ZS100 and Sony A9, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. The sensor resolution of the ZS100 (20MP) and the A9 (24MP) is very comparable but the ZS100 (1") and A9 (Full frame) possess different sensor measurements.

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The ZS100 was announced 15 months earlier than the A9 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the ZS100 matches up vs the A9 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 & Sony Alpha A9. The whole galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS100 features physical dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS100 and Sony A9 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS100 against the A9.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS100 and A9 is 87 and 65 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by going through a spec sheet. The graphic here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS100 and A9.

As you can see, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The ZS100 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A9 will produce greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older ZS100 will be behind in sensor technology.