Sony A390 vs Zeiss ZX1

Let's look more in depth at the Sony A390 and Zeiss ZX1, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Sony and Zeiss. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the A390 (14MP) and ZX1 (37MP) and the A390 (APS-C) and ZX1 (Full frame) have different sensor dimensions.

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The A390 was revealed 9 years earlier than the ZX1 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera and the Zeiss ZX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick view of how the A390 matches up against the ZX1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 and Zeiss ZX1. The full galleries are viewable at Sony A390 Gallery and Zeiss ZX1 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera often, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Sony A390 has got physical dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Zeiss ZX1 has specifications of 142mm x 93mm x 46mm (5.6" x 3.7" x 1.8") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Sony A390 and Zeiss ZX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the A390 vs the ZX1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the A390 and ZX1 is 66 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes simply by viewing specifications. The image below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the A390 and ZX1.

To sum up, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The A390 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Zeiss ZX1 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 23MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged A390 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.