Panasonic ZS8 vs Sony NEX-7

In this write-up, we will be analyzing the Panasonic ZS8 versus Sony NEX-7, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the ZS8 (14MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the ZS8 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The ZS8 was manufactured 4 months prior to the NEX-7 and they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the ZS8 grades versus the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic ZS8 Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic ZS8 has external measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-7 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

See the Panasonic ZS8 versus Sony NEX-7 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the ZS8 compared to the NEX-7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ZS8 and NEX-7 is 92 and 84 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reviewing a spec sheet. The pic below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the ZS8 and NEX-7.

Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The ZS8 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting bokeh harder and the Sony NEX-7 will deliver more detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs far more aggressively.