Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A7 III

Below is a complete overview of the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A7 III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the ZS20 (14MP) and A7 III (24MP) and the ZS20 (1/2.3") and A7 III (Full frame) have different sensor sizing.

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The ZS20 was introduced 6 years prior to the A7 III and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A7 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the ZS20 grades vs the A7 III in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 & Sony Alpha A7 III. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery & Sony A7 III Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS20 provides outer dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Sony A7 III has measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Compare the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A7 III in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the ZS20 and the A7 III.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS20 and A7 III is 92 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reviewing technical specs. The graphic below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS20 and A7 III.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The ZS20 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A7 III will offer more detail using its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images more aggressively. The older ZS20 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.