Sony A77 II vs Zeiss ZX1

The Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II and the Zeiss ZX1 are two enthusiast cameras that were announced, respectively, in May 2014 and September 2018. The A77 II is a DSLR, while the ZX1 is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on an APS-C (A77 II) and a full frame (ZX1) sensor. The Sony has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Zeiss provides 37.4 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Sony A77 II		Zeiss ZX1
Digital single lens reflex		Fixed lens compact camera
Sony A mount lenses		35mm f/2.8
24 MP – APS-C sensor		37.4 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (50 - 51,200)		ISO 80-51,200
Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (6221k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1229k dots		4.3" LCD – 2765k dots
Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)		Fixed touchscreen
12 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		no shake reduction
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
480 shots per battery charge		250 shots per battery charge
143 x 104 x 81 mm, 647 g		142 x 93 x 46 mm, 800 g

Check A77 II offers at
ebay.com
Check ZX1 offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II and the Zeiss ZX1? 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.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Sony A77 II and the Zeiss ZX1. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Zeiss ZX1 is notably smaller (11 percent) than the Sony A77 II. It is worth mentioning in this context that the A77 II is splash and dust resistant, while the ZX1 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the ZX1 has a lens built in, whereas the A77 II 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 A77 II gets 480 shots out of its Sony NP-FM500H battery, while the ZX1 can take 250 images on a single charge of its Zeiss DD-PS1A power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. 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.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
2.		Zeiss ZX1	142 mm	93 mm	46 mm	800 g	250	n	Sep 2018	5,999	ebay.com
3.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
4.		Leica Q Typ 116	130 mm	80 mm	93 mm	640 g	300	n	Jun 2015	4,249	ebay.com
5.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	4,995	amazon.com
6.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D7200	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	1110	Y	Mar 2015	1,199	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic FZ1000	137 mm	99 mm	131 mm	831 g	360	n	Jun 2014	899	ebay.com
9.		Pentax K-3	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	560	Y	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
10.		Pentax K-3 II	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	720	Y	Apr 2015	1,099	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
12.		Sony A58	129 mm	95 mm	78 mm	492 g	690	n	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
13.		Sony A68	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	610 g	540	n	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
14.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6500	120 mm	67 mm	53 mm	453 g	350	Y	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6600	120 mm	67 mm	69 mm	503 g	810	Y	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
17.		Sony RX1R II	113 mm	65 mm	72 mm	507 g	220	n	Oct 2015	3,299	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Sony A77 II features an APS-C sensor and the Zeiss ZX1 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the ZX1 is 135 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 37.4MP, the ZX1 offers a higher resolution than the A77 II (24MP), but the ZX1 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.81μm versus 3.91μm for the A77 II) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the ZX1 is a much more recent model (by 4 years and 4 months) than the A77 II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The resolution advantage of the Zeiss ZX1 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the ZX1 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 37.4 x 25 inches or 95.1 x 63.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 30 x 20 inches or 76.1 x 50.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 25 x 16.6 inches or 63.4 x 42.3 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony A77 II are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 50-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Zeiss ZX1 are ISO 80 to ISO 51200 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

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 table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
2.		Zeiss ZX1	Full Frame	37.4	7488	4992	4K/30p	25.2	14.1	2759	94
3.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
4.		Leica Q Typ 116	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.7	2221	85
5.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
6.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
7.		Nikon D7200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.5	14.6	1333	87
8.		Panasonic FZ1000	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	11.7	517	64
9.		Pentax K-3	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.7	13.4	1216	80
10.		Pentax K-3 II	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.6	13.6	1106	80
11.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
12.		Sony A58	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.3	12.5	753	74
13.		Sony A68	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.5	701	79
14.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
15.		Sony A6500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.5	13.7	1405	85
16.		Sony A6600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.8	13.4	1497	82
17.		Sony RX1R II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	1080/60p	25.8	13.9	3204	97
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. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the ZX1 provides a better video resolution than the A77 II. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the ZX1 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A77 II (6221k vs 2359k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A77 II, the Zeiss ZX1, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		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.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Zeiss ZX1	6221	n	4.3 / 2765	fixed	Y	1/1000s	3.0/s	n	n
3.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
4.		Leica Q Typ 116	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
5.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D7200	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
8.		Panasonic FZ1000	2359	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Pentax K-3	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	Y	Y
10.		Pentax K-3 II	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
12.		Sony A58	1440	n	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Sony A68	1440	Y	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony A6500	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony A6600	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony RX1R II	2360	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/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 A77 II has one, while the ZX1 does not. While the built-in flash of the A77 II is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

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 ZX1 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 A77 II writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the ZX1 uses an internal SSD.

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 Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II and Zeiss ZX1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Zeiss ZX1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	3.1	Y	Y	Y
3.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
4.		Leica Q Typ 116	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D7200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Panasonic FZ1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Pentax K-3	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
10.		Pentax K-3 II	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony A58	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Sony A68	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony A6500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony A6600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony RX1R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the A77 II has a microphone port, which is missing on the ZX1. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A77 II (unlike the ZX1) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the A77 II and the ZX1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Sony and Zeiss. Further information on the features and operation of the A77 II and ZX1 can be found, respectively, in the Sony A77 II Manual (free pdf) or the online Zeiss ZX1 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Sony A77 II better than the Zeiss ZX1 or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II:

• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/1000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More flexible: Can take a variety of interchangeable lenses, including specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (480 versus 250) on a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in May 2014).

Arguments in favor of the Zeiss ZX1:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (37.4 vs 24MP), which boosts linear resolution by 25%.
• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (6221k vs 2359k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.74x vs 0.73x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (4.3" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2765k vs 1229k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Comes with an integrated lens, while the A77 II requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (142x93mm vs 143x104mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.1 vs 2.0).
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More prestigious: Has the Zeiss luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale value.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 4 months of technical progress since the A77 II launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the ZX1 is the clear winner of the contest (18 : 13 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A77 II and the Zeiss ZX1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Prime Lens Compact Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A77 II or the ZX1 perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera 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.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
2.		Zeiss ZX1	3/5	..	..	83/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2018	5,999	ebay.com
3.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
4.		Leica Q Typ 116	5/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	4,249	ebay.com
5.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	4,995	amazon.com
6.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D7200	4/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2015	1,199	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic FZ1000	4/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	899	ebay.com
9.		Pentax K-3	4/5	..	..	83/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	1,299	ebay.com
10.		Pentax K-3 II	4.5/5	..	..	..	5/5	5/5	Apr 2015	1,099	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
12.		Sony A58	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
13.		Sony A68	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
14.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
15.		Sony A6500	5/5	+ +	3.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2016	1,399	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6600	4/5	+	4/5	83/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
17.		Sony RX1R II	5/5	..	..	82/100	..	4.5/5	Oct 2015	3,299	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, 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 comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check A77 II offers at
ebay.com
Check ZX1 offers at
ebay.com

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 a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

~

Check A77 II offers at
ebay.com
Check ZX1 offers at
ebay.com

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.