Sony Alpha 6400 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha 6400 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Sony Alpha 6400 was introduced in January 2019 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 was introduced in January 2016. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha 6400 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 over Sony Alpha 6400.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Sony Alpha 6400 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 have 3.0" screens with 922k dot and 1,040k dot resolutions respectively. Sony Alpha 6400 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 has a Fixed screen Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Sony Alpha 6400 has a built-in 0.39" Electronic viewfinder with 2,359k dot resolution and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,166k dot resolution. They both have 100% coverage.

Sony Alpha 6400 features a 24.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 366.6 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 32,000 and expands to 100 - 102,400 in boosted mode. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 features a 20.1 megapixel 1-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 13.2 x 8.8 mm and a total area of 77.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 125 - 12,800 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode.

Sony Alpha 6400 is equipped with BIONZ X processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 is equipped with Venus Engine processor and can take pictures up to 5472 x 3648 resolution.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 has an image stabilization.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Sony Alpha 6400

Sony Alpha 6400 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC

Cameras have Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer and battery charging. Sony Alpha 6400 has a Micro HDMI and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony Alpha 6400 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 410 shots.

External Storage Slots

Sony Alpha 6400 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo Hybrid (UHS-I) card slot. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Sony Alpha 6400 has Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha 6400, and up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/2000 sec with mechanical shutter on Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. Sony Alpha 6400 can shoot continuously up to 11.0 fps. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Focusing

Sony Alpha 6400 has 425 focusing points and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 has 49 focusing points. Sony Alpha 6400 has detection range from -2 to +20 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Sony Alpha 6400 ranges from -2 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Sony Alpha 6400 and ±3 range on Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony Alpha 6400 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 6.00 m at ISO 100 on Sony Alpha 6400 and 8.00 m at Auto ISO on Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. Sony Alpha 6400 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Intelligent Hot Shoe or Wireless connection. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha 6400.

Sony Alpha 6400 body has dimensions of 120 x 67 x 60 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 2.36") and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 body has dimensions of 111 x 65 x 44 mm (4.37 x 2.56 x 1.73"). Sony Alpha 6400 weighs 403 g (0.89 lb / 14.22 oz) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100 weighs 312 g (0.69 lb / 11.01 oz).

Sony Alpha 6400

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100

120 mm

67 mm

111 mm

65 mm

67 mm

65 mm

60 mm

44 mm