Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500
87 Imaging
52 Features
65 Overall
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63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
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Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 25-250mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 312g - 111 x 65 x 44mm
- Launched January 2016
- Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-TZ100
- New Model is Panasonic ZS200
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Introduced August 2009
- Successor is Sony A560
Photography Glossary Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500 Overview
Below, we will be evaluating the Panasonic ZS100 versus Sony A500, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the ZS100 (20MP) and A500 (12MP) and the ZS100 (1") and A500 (APS-C) possess different sensor measurements.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe ZS100 was revealed 6 years later than the A500 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the ZS100 grades against the A500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Below is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are viewable at Panasonic ZS100 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS100 over the Sony A500
| ZS100 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | January 2016 |  | August 2009 | More recent by 78 months |
| Screen resolution | 1040k |  | 230k | Sharper screen (+810k dot) |
| Touch screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Panasonic ZS100
| A500 | ZS100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS100 and Sony A500
| ZS100 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus |  | Very accurate focus | ||
| Screen dimension | 3" |  | 3" | Identical screen measurements |
| Selfie screen |  | Neither offers selfie screen |
Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Panasonic ZS100 offers physical measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Compare the Panasonic ZS100 versus Sony A500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS100 compared to the A500.
Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS100 and A500 is 87 and 63 respectively.
Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, its hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements just by going over technical specs. The graphic underneath might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS100 and A500.
As you have seen, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ZS100 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic ZS100 will offer you more detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The newer ZS100 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.
Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Panasonic ZS100 vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Panasonic | Sony |
| Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Other name | Lumix DMC-TZ100 | - |
| Class | Large Sensor Compact | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2016-01-05 | 2009-08-27 |
| Physical type | Large Sensor Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Venus Engine | Bionz |
| Sensor type | MOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1" | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 13.2 x 8.8mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 116.2mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 5472 x 3648 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Highest native ISO | 12800 | 12800 |
| Highest boosted ISO | 25600 | - |
| Lowest native ISO | 125 | 200 |
| RAW images | ||
| Lowest boosted ISO | 80 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 49 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens focal range | 25-250mm (10.0x) | - |
| Highest aperture | f/2.8-5.9 | - |
| Macro focus range | 5cm | - |
| Total lenses | - | 143 |
| Crop factor | 2.7 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 1,040 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 1,166 thousand dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Highest silent shutter speed | 1/16000 secs | - |
| Continuous shooting rate | 9.9 frames per second | 5.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 8.00 m (at Auto ISO) | 12.00 m |
| Flash options | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 4K/UHD (3840 x 2160 @ 30p/24p), 1920 x 1080 @ 60p/60i/30p/24p, 640 x 480 (30p) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 3840x2160 | None |
| Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | - |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 312 gr (0.69 lbs) | 630 gr (1.39 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 111 x 65 x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 70 | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.5 | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light score | 559 | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 photos | 520 photos |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, 3 shots @ 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Pricing at launch | $700 | $638 |