Sony a3500 vs Zeiss ZX1

Let's look a little more closely at the Sony a3500 versus Zeiss ZX1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Sony and Zeiss. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the a3500 (20MP) and ZX1 (37MP) and the a3500 (APS-C) and ZX1 (Full frame) come with different sensor sizing.

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The a3500 was released 5 years earlier than the ZX1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Zeiss ZX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summation of how the a3500 scores against the ZX1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha a3500 & Zeiss ZX1. The complete galleries are provided at Sony a3500 Gallery & Zeiss ZX1 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Sony a3500 has got exterior measurements of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Zeiss ZX1 has sizing of 142mm x 93mm x 46mm (5.6" x 3.7" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony a3500 versus Zeiss ZX1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the a3500 and the ZX1.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the a3500 and ZX1 is 69 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements only by reading technical specs. The graphic below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the a3500 and ZX1.

As you can tell, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The a3500 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Zeiss ZX1 will offer greater detail as a result of its extra 17MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a little more aggressively. The older a3500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.