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Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3 Comparison

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Panasonic ZS1

10 MP | 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) CCD Sensor

Panasonic ZS1
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Sony NEX-C3

16 MP | APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony NEX-C3
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Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic ZS1, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.5-inch sensor whereas Sony NEX-C3, which was introduced in August 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, ZS1 is 2 years older than NEX-C3. 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 ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-05-14
  • 10MP - 1/2.5-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.7" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 229g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ6

Sony NEX-C3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-08-22
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 6 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 225g. 110 x 60 x 33 mm
  • Replaced Sony Alpha NEX-3 Compare

Sony NEX-C3 was replaced by Sony Alpha NEX-F3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha NEX-F3 vs Sony Alpha NEX-C3
Sony Alpha NEX-F3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 over Sony Alpha NEX-C3
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha NEX-C3 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 11 14 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
920k dots vs 230k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
6.0fps vs 3.0fps 3 fps faster
Weight
225 g vs 229 g 4 g lighter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area
22.77µm2 vs 2.48µm2 818% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1280 x 720 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
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Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3: 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 ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS1 has external dimensions of 103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.06 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 229 g (0.50 lb / 8.08 oz) (including batteries). Sony NEX-C3 has external dimensions of 110 x 60 x 33 mm (4.33 x 2.36 x 1.3″) and weighs 225 g (0.50 lb / 7.94 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS1 has a built-in lens but Sony NEX-C3 doesn't. Once you put a lens on NEX-C3, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony NEX-C3 is 4g lighter than the Panasonic ZS1 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 NEX-C3, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (Lumix DMC-TZ6) nor Sony Alpha NEX-C3 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony NEX-C3's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic ZS1's 2.7" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony NEX-C3 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic ZS1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to NEX-C3.
Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic ZS1 has a 10.0MP 1/2.5-inch (5.744 x 4.308 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Sony NEX-C3 has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Sony NEX-C3's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic ZS1'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 ZS1 and NEX-C3 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 Cameras


As seen above, Sony NEX-C3 has a 14.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS1. 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 ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 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 ZS1 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Sony NEX-C3 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony NEX-C3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony NEX-C3 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
11 Focus Points
300 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony NEX-C3 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
229g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
225g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony NEX-C3 for Landscape Photography

POOR
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.5" (5.744 x 4.308 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic ZS1 vs Sony NEX-C3: 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 ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 ZS1 and Sony NEX-C3 scores compare:

Panasonic ZS1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #378 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1058 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sony NEX-C3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #102 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #426 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony NEX-C3 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic ZS1 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic ZS1
Panasonic ZS1
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Sony NEX-C3
Sony NEX-C3
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Sony NEX-C3 vs Panasonic ZS1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 Sony Alpha NEX-C3
Brand Panasonic Sony
Announced 2009-05-14 2011-08-22
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.5-inch APS-C
Dimensions 5.744 x 4.308 mm 23.4 x 15.6 mm
Area 24.74mm2 365.04mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 4912 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 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 11 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony E
Lens Focal Range 25-300 mm (12×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.3-4.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 3cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 2.7" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.30 m (Auto ISO) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 640 x 480 1280 x 720
Video Formats Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 225g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 110 x 60 x 33mm
Battery Life n/a 400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 73
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.2
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1083
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