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Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R Comparison

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Panasonic ZS3

10 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

Panasonic ZS3
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Sony A7R

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R
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Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic ZS3, which was introduced in May 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Sony A7R, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 36.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, ZS3 is 5 years older than A7R. 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 ZS3 and Sony A7R before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic ZS3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-05-14
  • 10MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 25-300 mm F3.3-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 2 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 229g. 103 x 60 x 33 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-TZ7

Sony A7R Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-13
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 465g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Sony A7R was replaced by Sony Alpha 7R II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7R II vs Sony Alpha A7R
Sony Alpha 7R II vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 over Sony Alpha A7R
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
229 g vs 465 g 236 g lighter


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
36 MP vs 10 MP 260% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 11 14 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 460k dots 167% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
4.0fps vs 2.0fps 2 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area
23.83µm2 vs 2.78µm2 757% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Sony Alpha A7R
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 and Sony Alpha A7R
Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R: 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 ZS3 and Sony A7R side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS3 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 A7R has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 465 g (1.03 lb / 16.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R. Panasonic ZS3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 24mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 15mm thinner than Sony A7R. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS3 has a built-in lens but Sony A7R doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7R, its thickness will increase significantly.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R.
Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic ZS3 is significantly lighter (236g ) than the Sony A7R 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 A7R, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A7R, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to ZS3.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Sony A7R 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 ZS3 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7R.
Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic ZS3 has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Sony A7R has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R's sensor provides 26MP more than Panasonic ZS3'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.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Sony A7R's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the ZS3 and A7R sensor size comparison.

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R has a 31.1x Larger sensor area than Panasonic ZS3. 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 ZS3 and Sony A7R Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic ZS3 and Sony A7R 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 ZS3 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Sony A7R for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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 Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7R for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony A7R for Sports Photography

GOOD
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: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A7R for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Compact Body
229g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
465g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A7R for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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 Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Panasonic ZS3 vs Sony A7R: 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 ZS3 and Sony A7R, 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 ZS3 and Sony A7R scores compare:

Panasonic ZS3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #342 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #996 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sony A7R
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #33 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #54 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7R is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic ZS3 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic ZS3. Otherwise, Sony A7R is the better camera overall.

Panasonic ZS3
Panasonic ZS3
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Sony A7R
Sony A7R
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Sony A7R vs Panasonic ZS3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 Sony Alpha A7R
Brand Panasonic Sony
Announced 2009-05-14 2014-02-13
Body Type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch Full frame
Dimensions 6.08 x 4.56 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 27.72mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 36 megapixels
Max Resolution 3648 x 2736 7360 x 4912
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 25,600 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 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 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 1,230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.71x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/8000s
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 2.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080
Video Formats AVCHD Lite MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 229g 465g
Dimensions 103 x 60 x 33mm 127 x 94 x 48mm
Battery Life n/a 340 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 95
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.6
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.1
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2746
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