Panasonic ZS50 vs Sony NEX-7

Lets examine more closely at the Panasonic ZS50 and Sony NEX-7, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the ZS50 (12MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the ZS50 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

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The ZS50 was unveiled 3 years after the NEX-7 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the ZS50 scores versus the NEX-7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are available at Panasonic ZS50 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Panasonic ZS50 offers exterior dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Sony NEX-7 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic ZS50 and Sony NEX-7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the ZS50 vs the NEX-7.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the ZS50 and NEX-7 is 90 and 84 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizes only by checking a spec sheet. The pic below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the ZS50 and NEX-7.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ZS50 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-7 will give you more detail having an extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The younger ZS50 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.