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Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400 Comparison

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Panasonic FZ80

18 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Panasonic FZ80
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Sony A6400

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A6400
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Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic FZ80, which was introduced in January 2017 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 18.0MP 1/2.3 sensor whereas Sony A6400, which was introduced in January 2019 is a Advanced Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, FZ80 is 2 years older than A6400. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic FZ80 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-01-04
  • 18MP - 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200 ( expands to 6400)
  • 20-1200 mm F2.8-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1166k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 616g. 130 x 94 x 119 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-FZ85

Sony A6400 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-01-15
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 11.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 403g. 120 x 67 x 50 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha a6300 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 over Sony Alpha a6400
In-built Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 922k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Flash Coverage
14.1m vs 6.0m 8.1m longer range
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
CHECK FZ80 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a6400 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Tiltable Flash
Yes vs No Bounce built-in flash off the ceiling
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.7x vs 0.46x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 18 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 3.200 900% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 49 376 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
11.0fps vs 10.0fps 1 fps faster
Battery Life
410 shots vs 330 shots 80 more frames with a single charge
Weight
403 g vs 616 g 213 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Viewfinder Resolution
2359k dot vs 1166k dot 102% higher resolution
Sensor Pixel Area
15.28µm2 vs 1.56µm2 879% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A6400 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 and Sony Alpha a6400
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
18 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Max Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 11.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 and Sony Alpha a6400
Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic FZ80 has external dimensions of 130 x 94 x 119 mm (5.12 x 3.7 x 4.69″) and weighs 616 g (1.36 lb / 21.73 oz) (including batteries). Sony A6400 has external dimensions of 120 x 67 x 60 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.36″) and weighs 403 g (0.89 lb / 14.22 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400. Sony A6400 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 10mm narrower, 27mm shorter and 69mm thinner than Panasonic FZ80. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic FZ80 has a built-in lens but Sony A6400 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A6400, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400.

Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400.
Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A6400 is significantly lighter (213g ) than the Panasonic FZ80 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A6400, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A6400, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to FZ80.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Sony A6400 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Panasonic FZ80 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A6400.


Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic FZ80 has a 18.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Sony A6400 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A6400's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic FZ80's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the FZ80 and A6400 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A6400 has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Panasonic FZ80. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic FZ80 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A6400 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic FZ80 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony A6400 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
20 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic FZ80 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A6400 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
1200 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Environmental Sealings
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
425 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic FZ80 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A6400 for Daily Photography

GOOD
60.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3 sensor
616g
Body Thickness 119mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
403g
Body Thickness 50mm
Read the details

Panasonic FZ80 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A6400 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
20 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic FZ80 vs Sony A6400: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic FZ80 and Sony A6400 scores compare:

Panasonic FZ80
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #306 out of 1259 in all Cameras
Sony A6400
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #15 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #112 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sony A6400 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic FZ80 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic FZ80
Panasonic FZ80
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Sony A6400
Sony A6400
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Sony A6400 vs Panasonic FZ80 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80 Sony Alpha a6400
Brand Panasonic Sony
Announced 2017-01-04 2019-01-15
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3 APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 28.07mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 4896 x 3672 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 32,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 6400 ISO 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 49 425
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony E
Lens Focal Range 20-1200 mm (60x) no lens
Max Aperture F2.8-5.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 1,166k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.46x 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 14.10 m (at Auto ISO) 6.00 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 11.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, H.264, XAVC-S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 616g 403g
Dimensions 130 x 94 x 119mm 120 x 67 x 50mm
Battery Life 330 shots 410 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 83
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.6
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1431
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