Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100
92 Imaging
37 Features
39 Overall
37


64 Imaging
48 Features
38 Overall
44
Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
- 210g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
- Launched July 2011
- Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-TZ18
- Succeeded the Panasonic ZS7
(Full Review)
- 10MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 638g - 133 x 95 x 71mm
- Revealed July 2006
- Replaced the Konica Minolta 5D
- Refreshed by Sony A550

Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Overview
Its time to look a little more in depth at the Panasonic ZS8 versus Sony A100, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the ZS8 (14MP) and A100 (10MP) and the ZS8 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

The ZS8 was announced 5 years after the A100 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the ZS8 matches up against the A100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The whole galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS8 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS8 over the Sony A100
ZS8 | A100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | July 2011 | ![]() | July 2006 | Newer by 61 months |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Reasons to pick Sony A100 over the Panasonic ZS8
A100 | ZS8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial exact focus |
Common features in the Panasonic ZS8 and Sony A100
ZS8 | A100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Exact same display resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Missing selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither offers Touch friendly display |
Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to travel with your camera, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Panasonic ZS8 offers external measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs) while the Sony A100 has proportions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") having a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).
Look at the Panasonic ZS8 versus Sony A100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the ZS8 compared to the A100.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ZS8 and A100 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions only by looking through specs. The image below will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the ZS8 and A100.
All in all, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ZS8 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic ZS8 will render more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively. The newer ZS8 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.

Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony A100 Specifications
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Panasonic | Sony |
Model | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 |
Alternative name | Lumix DMC-TZ18 | - |
Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
Launched | 2011-07-19 | 2006-07-31 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Venus Engine FHD | - |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Peak resolution | 4320 x 3240 | 3872 x 2592 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 1600 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens focal range | 24-384mm (16.0x) | - |
Highest aperture | f/3.3-5.9 | - |
Macro focus distance | 3cm | - |
Total lenses | - | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 5.9 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3 inch | 2.5 inch |
Resolution of display | 230k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | TFT LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 2.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 5.00 m | - |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro | Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | - |
Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
Video format | MPEG-4 | - |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
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 | 210 grams (0.46 pounds) | 638 grams (1.41 pounds) |
Dimensions | 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") | 133 x 95 x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | 61 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.0 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.2 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 476 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 340 photographs | - |
Battery form | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | - | NP-FM55H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Compact Flash (Type I or II) |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail pricing | $275 | $1,000 |