Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A6400

Let's look a little more closely at the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A6400, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the ZS20 (14MP) and A6400 (24MP) and the ZS20 (1/2.3") and A6400 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS20 was released 7 years prior to the A6400 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A6400 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the ZS20 grades vs the A6400 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 and Sony Alpha a6400. The complete galleries are available at Panasonic ZS20 Gallery and Sony A6400 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic ZS20 has got external measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Sony A6400 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 50mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 403 grams (0.89 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic ZS20 vs Sony A6400 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the ZS20 against the A6400.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the ZS20 and A6400 is 92 and 83 respectively.

Often, it's hard to see the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading specs. The graphic here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS20 and A6400.

All in all, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ZS20 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A6400 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older ZS20 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.