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Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8 Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S
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Panasonic SZ8

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

Panasonic SZ8
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Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Panasonic SZ8, which was introduced in January 2014 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. There is only 3 months difference between A7S and SZ8 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

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 Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Panasonic SZ8 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-01-06
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 6400)
  • 24-288 mm F3.1-6.3 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 159g. 100 x 60 x 27 mm

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
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
Max ISO
409.600 vs 1.600 25500% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 9 16 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
5.0fps vs 1.0fps 4 fps faster
Battery Life
360 shots vs 200 shots 160 more frames with a single charge
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
71.24µm2 vs 1.74µm2 3994% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 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


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 over Sony Alpha A7S
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Weight
159 g vs 489 g 330 g lighter

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8: 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 Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic SZ8 has external dimensions of 100 x 60 x 27 mm (3.94 x 2.36 x 1.06″) and weighs 159 g (0.35 lb / 5.61 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8. Panasonic SZ8 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 27mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 21mm thinner than Sony A7S. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic SZ8 has a built-in lens but Sony A7S doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7S, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8.
Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic SZ8 is significantly lighter (330g ) than the Sony A7S 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 A7S, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over SZ8 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

On the other hand, Sony A7S 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 SZ8 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Panasonic SZ8 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3" (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Below you can see the A7S and SZ8 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 30.9x Larger sensor area than Panasonic SZ8. 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 Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 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.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Panasonic SZ8 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
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

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic SZ8 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
24 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

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic SZ8 for Sports Photography

POOR
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: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Wireless Connection
288 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: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.30
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic SZ8 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Compact Body
159g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic SZ8 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Panasonic SZ8: 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 Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8, 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 Sony A7S and Panasonic SZ8 scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Panasonic SZ8
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #280 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #898 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic SZ8 in all criteria except one: Portability. Panasonic SZ8 is significantly smaller than Sony A7S. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Panasonic SZ8. Otherwise, Sony A7S is the better camera overall.

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Panasonic SZ8
Panasonic SZ8
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Panasonic SZ8 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
Brand Sony Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-06 2014-01-06
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size Full frame 1/2.3"
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 855.62mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 6400 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 25 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 24-288 mm (12×)
Max Aperture no lens F3.1-6.3
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 5.20 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 159g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 100 x 60 x 27mm
Battery Life 360 shots 200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 not tested
DxO Color Depth 23.9 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 not tested
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