Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9
92 Imaging
36 Features
37 Overall
36


65 Imaging
73 Features
93 Overall
81
Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
- 208g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
- Announced June 2012
- Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-TZ25
- Replacement is Panasonic ZS20
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Expand to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 673g - 127 x 96 x 63mm
- Revealed April 2017
- Updated by Sony A9 II

Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Overview
Lets look a bit more in depth at the Panasonic ZS15 versus Sony A9, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the ZS15 (12MP) and A9 (24MP) and the ZS15 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor size.

The ZS15 was unveiled 5 years before the A9 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the ZS15 matches up vs the A9 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 & Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS15 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS15 over the Sony A9
ZS15 | A9 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A9 over the Panasonic ZS15
A9 | ZS15 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | April 2017 | ![]() | June 2012 | Fresher by 58 months |
Manual focus | ![]() | Very exact focus | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen resolution | 1440k | ![]() | 460k | Crisper screen (+980k dot) |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS15 and Sony A9
ZS15 | A9 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen |
Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Physical Comparison
When you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS15 enjoys exterior measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs) and the Sony A9 has sizing of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).
Contrast the Panasonic ZS15 versus Sony A9 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the ZS15 and the A9.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS15 and A9 is 92 and 65 respectively.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, its hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing specs. The visual underneath will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS15 and A9.
As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The ZS15 with its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony A9 will produce extra detail having an extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older ZS15 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS15 vs Sony A9 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 | Sony Alpha A9 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 | Sony Alpha A9 |
Also called as | Lumix DMC-TZ25 | - |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Pro Mirrorless |
Announced | 2012-06-29 | 2017-04-19 |
Body design | Compact | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | BIONZ X |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 35.6 x 23.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 847.3mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 6000 x 4000 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 51200 |
Max boosted ISO | - | 204800 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Min boosted ISO | - | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Number of focus points | 23 | 693 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens focal range | 24-384mm (16.0x) | - |
Max aperture | f/3.3-5.9 | - |
Macro focus distance | 3cm | - |
Amount of lenses | - | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 460k dot | 1,440k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 3,686k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.78x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 15s | 30s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
Highest quiet shutter speed | - | 1/32000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 2.0 frames per second | 20.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 6.40 m | no built-in flash |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 208 grams (0.46 lb) | 673 grams (1.48 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") | 127 x 96 x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 92 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 24.9 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 13.3 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 3517 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 260 images | 650 images |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FZ100 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) |
Storage slots | Single | Two |
Cost at launch | $279 | $4,498 |