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Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Sony A850

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II and the Sony Alpha A850 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2019 and August 2009. The FZ1000 II is a fixed lens compact, while the A850 is a DSLR. The cameras are based on an one-inch (FZ1000 II) and a full frame (A850) sensor. The Panasonic has a resolution of 20 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24.4 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications
Panasonic FZ1000 II
versus
Sony A850
Panasonic FZ1000 II   Sony A850
Fixed lens compact camera Digital single lens reflex
25-400mm f/2.8-4.0 Sony A mount lenses
20 MP – 1" sensor 24.4 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/30p Video no Video
ISO 125-12,800 (80 - 25,600) ISO 200-3,200 (100 - 6,400)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots) Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1240k dots 3.0" LCD – 922k dots
Swivel touchscreen Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
12 shutter flaps per second 3 shutter flaps per second
Lens-based stabilizationIn-body stabilization
not weather sealedWeathersealed body
350 shots per battery charge880 shots per battery charge
136 x 97 x 131 mm, 810 g 156 x 117 x 82 mm, 895 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II and the Sony Alpha A850? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

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Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Panasonic FZ1000 II and the Sony A850 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Sony A850
Compare FZ1000 II versus A850 top
Comparison FZ1000 II or A850 rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A850 is notably larger (38 percent) than the Panasonic FZ1000 II. It is noteworthy in this context that the A850 is splash and dust-proof, while the FZ1000 II does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the FZ1000 II has a lens built in, whereas the A850 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

Concerning battery life, the FZ1000 II gets 350 shots out of its Panasonic DMW-BLC12 battery, while the A850 can take 880 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FM500H power pack. The power pack in the FZ1000 II can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
  empty Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 II 136 mm 97 mm 131 mm 810 g 350 n Feb 2019 899 amazon.com
2.
 
Sony A850 156 mm 117 mm 82 mm 895 g 880 Y Aug 2009 1,999ebay.com
3.
 
Canon G5 X Mark II 111 mm 61 mm 46 mm 340 g 230 n Jul 2019 899ebay.com
4.
 
Canon G7 X Mark III 105 mm 61 mm 41 mm 304 g 235 n Jul 2019 749 amazon.com
5.
 
Leica C-LUX 113 mm 67 mm 46 mm 340 g 370 n Jun 2018 1,049ebay.com
6.
 
Leica V-LUX 5 136 mm 97 mm 131 mm 812 g 350 n Jul 2019 1,249 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon D750 141 mm 113 mm 78 mm 750 g 1230 Y Sep 2014 2,299ebay.com
8.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 137 mm 99 mm 131 mm 831 g 360 n Jun 2014 899ebay.com
9.
 
Panasonic FZ2500 138 mm 102 mm 135 mm 915 g 350 n Sep 2016 1,199 amazon.com
10.
 
Panasonic LX100 II 115 mm 66 mm 65 mm 392 g 300 n Aug 2018 999ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic ZS200 111 mm 65 mm 45 mm 340 g 370 n Feb 2018 799 amazon.com
12.
 
Sony A7 III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 610 Y Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
13.
 
Sony A7C 124 mm 71 mm 60 mm 509 g 740 Y Sep 2020 1,799 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A99 147 mm 111 mm 78 mm 812 g 500 Y Sep 2012 2,799ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A900 156 mm 117 mm 82 mm 895 g 880 Y Sep 2008 2,999ebay.com
16.
 
Sony RX100 IV 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 298 g 280 n Jun 2015 999ebay.com
17.
 
Sony ZV-1 105 mm 60 mm 44 mm 294 g 260 n May 2020 799ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The FZ1000 II was launched at a lower price than the A850, despite having a lens built in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Panasonic FZ1000 II features an one-inch sensor and the Sony A850 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the A850 is 643 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.7 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Panasonic FZ1000 II and Sony A850 sensor measures

With 24.4MP, the A850 offers a higher resolution than the FZ1000 II (20MP), but the A850 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 2.41μm for the FZ1000 II) due to its larger sensor. However, the FZ1000 II is a much more recent model (by 9 years and 5 months) than the A850, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A850 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A850 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30.2 x 20.2 inches or 76.8 x 51.2 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24.2 x 16.1 inches or 61.4 x 41 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20.2 x 13.4 inches or 51.2 x 34.1 cm. The corresponding values for the Panasonic FZ1000 II are 27.4 x 18.2 inches or 69.5 x 46.3 cm for good quality, 21.9 x 14.6 inches or 55.6 x 37.1 cm for very good quality, and 18.2 x 12.2 inches or 46.3 x 30.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 125 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 80-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A850 are ISO 200 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-6400.

In terms of underlying technology, the FZ1000 II is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the A850 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

FZ1000 II versus A850 MP

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

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Sensor Characteristics
  empty Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 II 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.112.454665
2.
 
Sony A850 Full Frame 24.4 6048 4032none23.812.2141579
3.
 
Canon G5 X Mark II 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.212.458365
4.
 
Canon G7 X Mark III 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.212.458365
5.
 
Leica C-LUX 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.112.348164
6.
 
Leica V-LUX 5 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.212.458465
7.
 
Nikon D750 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/60p24.814.5295693
8.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.111.751764
9.
 
Panasonic FZ2500 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p23.012.653870
10.
 
Panasonic LX100 II Four Thirds 16.8 4736 35524K/30p22.812.797972
11.
 
Panasonic ZS200 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.012.244964
12.
 
Sony A7 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7373096
13.
 
Sony A7C Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7340795
14.
 
Sony A99 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p25.014.0155589
15.
 
Sony A900 Full Frame 24.4 6048 4032none23.712.3143179
16.
 
Sony RX100 IV 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.812.659170
17.
 
Sony ZV-1 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.212.666966
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The FZ1000 II indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the A850 does not. The highest resolution format that the FZ1000 II can use is 4K/30p.

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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the FZ1000 II has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the A850 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the FZ1000 II offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the A850 (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the A850 has a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.70x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Panasonic FZ1000 II and Sony A850 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
  empty Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 II2360 n3.0 / 1240 swivel Y 1/4000s 12.0/s Y Y
2.
 
Sony A850optical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 3.0/s n Y
3.
 
Canon G5 X Mark II2360 n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/2000s 30/s Y Y
4.
 
Canon G7 X Mark IIInone n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/2000s 30/s Y Y
5.
 
Leica C-LUX2330 n3.0 / 1240 fixed Y 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
6.
 
Leica V-LUX 52360 n3.0 / 1240 swivel Y 1/4000s 12.0/s Y Y
7.
 
Nikon D750optical Y3.2 / 1229 tilting n 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
8.
 
Panasonic FZ10002359 n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 12.0/s Y Y
9.
 
Panasonic FZ25002360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 12.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Panasonic LX100 II2764 n3.0 / 1240 fixed Y 1/4000s 11.0/s n Y
11.
 
Panasonic ZS2002330 n3.0 / 1240 fixed Y 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
12.
 
Sony A7 III2359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
13.
 
Sony A7C2360 n3.0 / 922 swivel Y 1/4000s 10.0/s n Y
14.
 
Sony A992359 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 6.0/s n Y
15.
 
Sony A900optical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
16.
 
Sony RX100 IV2359 n3.0 / 1228 tilting n 1/2000s 16.0/s Y Y
17.
 
Sony ZV-1none n3.0 / 922 swivel Y 1/2000s 24.0/s n n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The FZ1000 II has one, while the A850 does not. While the built-in flash of the FZ1000 II is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The FZ1000 II has an articulated LCD that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in snapping selfies. In contrast, the A850 does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the FZ1000 II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Panasonic FZ1000 II has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The FZ1000 II writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A850 uses Compact Flash or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A850 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the FZ1000 II only has one slot.

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Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II and Sony Alpha A850 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
  empty Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 IIYstereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y
2.
 
Sony A850Y- / ---mini2.0---
3.
 
Canon G5 X Mark II-stereo / mono--micro3.1Y-Y
4.
 
Canon G7 X Mark III-stereo / monoY-micro3.1Y-Y
5.
 
Leica C-LUX-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
6.
 
Leica V-LUX 5Ystereo / mono--micro2.0Y-Y
7.
 
Nikon D750Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0Y--
8.
 
Panasonic FZ1000Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
9.
 
Panasonic FZ2500Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0Y--
10.
 
Panasonic LX100 IIYstereo / mono--micro2.0Y-Y
11.
 
Panasonic ZS200-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y-Y
12.
 
Sony A7 IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
13.
 
Sony A7CYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2YYY
14.
 
Sony A99Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0---
15.
 
Sony A900Y- / ---mini2.0---
16.
 
Sony RX100 IV-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
17.
 
Sony ZV-1Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y-Y

It is notable that the FZ1000 II offers wifi support, while the A850 does not. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A850 (unlike the FZ1000 II) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

The FZ1000 II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the A850 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the A850 from Sony. Further information on the features and operation of the FZ1000 II and A850 can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic FZ1000 II Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A850 Manual.

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Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Panasonic FZ1000 II and the Sony A850? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

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Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II:

  • Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 4K/30p movies.
  • More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
  • More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 98%).
  • More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1240k vs 922k dots).
  • More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
  • Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
  • Ready to shoot: Comes with a built-in lens, while the A850 requires a separate lens.
  • More compact: Is smaller (136x97mm vs 156x117mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
  • Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the A850).
  • Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
  • Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
  • Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
  • Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
  • More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
  • More modern: Reflects 9 years and 5 months of technical progress since the A850 launch.

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Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A850:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (24.4 vs 20MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.
  • Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.70x).
  • Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
  • Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
  • More flexible: Makes it possible to change lenses and thus to use specialty optics.
  • Longer lasting: Gets more shots (880 versus 350) out of a single battery charge.
  • Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
  • Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
  • Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2009).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the FZ1000 II is the clear winner of the match-up (19 : 11 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

FZ1000 II 19:11 A850

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Panasonic FZ1000 II and the Sony A850 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the FZ1000 II or the A850. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

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Expert Camera Reviews
  empty  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic FZ1000 II......83/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2019 899 amazon.com
2.
 
Sony A8503/5....75/100..4.5/5 Aug 2009 1,999ebay.com
3.
 
Canon G5 X Mark II4/5+4/582/100..4/5 Jul 2019 899ebay.com
4.
 
Canon G7 X Mark III..+ +4/581/1004/5.. Jul 2019 749 amazon.com
5.
 
Leica C-LUX....3.5/5..4.5/54/5 Jun 2018 1,049ebay.com
6.
 
Leica V-LUX 5........4/54/5 Jul 2019 1,249 amazon.com
7.
 
Nikon D7505/5+ +4/590/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2014 2,299ebay.com
8.
 
Panasonic FZ10004/5+ +..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2014 899ebay.com
9.
 
Panasonic FZ2500..+..82/1004.5/55/5 Sep 2016 1,199 amazon.com
10.
 
Panasonic LX100 II4.5/5+4.2/582/1004.5/54.5/5 Aug 2018 999ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic ZS200..+ +4.5/581/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2018 799 amazon.com
12.
 
Sony A7 III..+ +4.5/589/1005/55/5 Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
13.
 
Sony A7C3.5/5..3.5/586/1004/54/5 Sep 2020 1,799 amazon.com
14.
 
Sony A995/5....84/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 2,799ebay.com
15.
 
Sony A900..+ +..+ +4.5/55/5 Sep 2008 2,999ebay.com
16.
 
Sony RX100 IV4.5/5+ +..85/1004/54.5/5 Jun 2015 999ebay.com
17.
 
Sony ZV-14/5+4/585/1004/54.5/5 May 2020 799ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications: Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Sony A850

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Panasonic FZ1000 II Sony A850
    Camera Type Fixed lens compact camera Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens 25-400mm f/2.8-4.0 Sony A mount lenses
    Launch Date February 2019 August 2009
    Launch Price USD 899 USD 1,999
    Sensor Specs Panasonic FZ1000 II Sony A850
    Sensor Technology BSI-CMOS CMOS
    Sensor Format 1" Sensor Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 13.2 x 8.8 mm 35.9 x 24.0 mm
    Sensor Area 116.16 mm2 861.6 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 15.9 mm 43.2 mm
    Crop Factor 2.7x 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 20 Megapixels 24.4 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5472 x 3648 pixels 6048 x 4032 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 2.41 μm 5.94 μm
    Pixel Density 17.18 MP/cm2 2.83 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 4K/30p Video no Video
    ISO Setting 125 - 12,800 ISO 200 - 3,200 ISO
    ISO Boost 80 - 25,600 ISO 100 - 6,400 ISO
    Image Processor Venus BIONZ
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) .. 79
    DXO Color Depth (bits) .. 23.8
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) .. 12.2
    DXO Low Light (ISO) .. 1415
    Screen Specs Panasonic FZ1000 II Sony A850
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100% 98%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.70x 0.74x
    Viewfinder Resolution 2360k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    Rear LCD Size 3.0inch 3.0inch
    LCD Resolution 1240k dots 922k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen Fixed screen
    Touch Input Touchscreen no Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs Panasonic FZ1000 II Sony A850
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peakingno Peaking Feature
    Continuous Shooting 12 shutter flaps/s 3 shutter flaps/s
    Electronic Shutterup to 1/16000sno E-Shutter
    Time-Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer built-inno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationLens-based stabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards CF or MS cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot Dual card slots
    Connectivity Specs Panasonic FZ1000 II Sony A850
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    Studio Flash no PC Sync PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port no MIC socket
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in no Wifi
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in no Bluetooth
    Body Specs Panasonic FZ1000 II Sony A850
    Environmental Sealingnot weather sealedWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Panasonic DMW-BLC12 Sony NP-FM500H
    Battery Life (CIPA)350 shots per charge880 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging no USB charging
    Body Dimensions 136 x 97 x 131 mm
    (5.4 x 3.8 x 5.2 in)
    156 x 117 x 82 mm
    (6.1 x 4.6 x 3.2 in)
    Camera Weight 810 g (28.6 oz) 895 g (31.6 oz)
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